Before, Apple would only scan data already in the cloud.
Now the pandora box has been opened. They are adding capability to scan files on iPhones before it hits the cloud.
Any technical or financial excuse they might have used in the past to not scan files locally is now rendered null.
Governments can just say: "you know what? scan these arbitrary sets of hashes as well, they are illegal in my jurisdiction and since you've shown that you can, scan them regardless if the user is sending to iCloud or not."
> Capability has been there already, for very long time.
Capability was always there but it wasn't implemented. Now arguments like excessive battery drain or processor usage or any argument they could have come up with can no longer be used since they went ahead and implemented software that scans iPhone files.
Perceptual hashing is a mere detail of how they are scanning files TODAY. Same for scanning only files which are to be sent to iCloud, a mere detail that can be changed anytime and surely will be requested by tyrants around the world.
I think you missunderstood a bit what I said. Capability was there, already as implemented, for example as Neural Nets which categorizes your photos, by scanning all of them. Detecting faces and giving them names. So on.
Even your Files app scans all of your files, and probably collects some metadata for iCloud sync process.
Surely they know this will be abused to check user data before it is uploaded to iCloud. All it takes is a willing government.