A pressure group trying to weaken iPhone privacy protection under the banner of ``child pornography regulations'' is operated with political funds of unknown origin.



A new, well-funded pressure group is trying to undermine the strong privacy protections of Apple devices in the name of cracking down on child pornography, reports foreign media outlet The Intercept.

Group Attacking Apple Encryption Linked to Dark-Money Network

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/01/apple-encryption-iphone-heat-initiative/



Privacy advocates argue that ``privacy is an absolute right no matter what the reason,'' and that ``privacy protection functions should be limited to expand surveillance by law enforcement and intelligence agencies.'' Restrictionists' arguments have long been a source of contention. Privacy restriction advocates have waged political and technological campaigns over the past several decades arguing that encryption should be abolished in the interest of public safety. However, in recent years, the argument has been replaced by one that says, ``Privacy protection functions should be weakened in order to catch pedophiles who escape police surveillance and terrorists who communicate using encryption technology.''

The privacy debate in technology involves a variety of people and organizations around the world, from privacy experts and computer scientists to cryptographers and government agencies. Apple, one of the world's largest technology companies, has also been embroiled in this type of controversy, and in 2021, in response to claims from privacy restriction advocates, it announced a new 'Child Sexual Abuse' policy to prevent child sexual exploitation on its technology. Announced that it will introduce technology to iCloud to limit the spread of 'CSAM: data related to child sexual exploitation'.

Typical CSAM detection technologies match data uploaded by users to the cloud for matches with known CSAM. However, because Apple's CSAM prevention technology goes a step further by matching files not only in the cloud but also on the device, privacy advocates such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation say it 'compromises user security and privacy.' A voice of protest was raised.

Apple announces that it will scan iPhone photos and messages to prevent child sexual exploitation, and protests from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and others say it ``undermines user security and privacy'' - GIGAZINE



In addition, Apple ultimately gave up on implementing CSAM prevention technology. In September 2023, in response to a question from the Heat Initiative, a non-profit organization that advocates for child safety, Apple stated, ``The reason we have not implemented the technology is because there will be an increase in claims that suppress privacy protection functions.'' ``This is because we were concerned about this.''

Why did Apple give up on developing a child pornography detection tool? -GIGAZINE



The Intercept points out that the Heat Initiative, which was the trigger for Apple to explain the reason for abandoning CSAM prevention technology, is ``a newly established pressure group in early 2023.''

In September 2023, Apple announced the iPhone 15, and Heat Initiative took advantage of the opportunity to run an ad that read, 'Dear Apple, Detect Child Sexual Abuse in iCloud.' They are running a negative campaign against Apple's privacy protection features, including in The New York Times, on trucks packed with digital billboards, and on airplanes flying over Apple's headquarters.




Basically, the arguments for and against privacy protection features are clear. However, The Intercept points out that the purpose of the Heat Initiative, which was just established in 2023, is unclear. The Intercept also points out that the Heat Initiative's funding source is dark money (political funds whose sources remain hidden by exploiting loopholes in disclosure laws).

Matthew Green, a cryptologist at Johns Hopkins University, said: ``It's disturbing that anonymous wealthy individuals with unknown intentions are attempting to invade our privacy on a massive scale.'' Not only is it a violation of a person's privacy, but it can also have a major impact on national security. (The Heat Initiative's claim is) to protect children, but its work is not really about protecting children. We have nothing to do with it,' he said, criticizing the Heat Initiative.

Additionally, Green said, ``The effort to require Apple to monitor the private files of iPhone owners is part of a broader effort to protect photos and the encryption used to have private conversations with others. 'You need to have some principles about what you're willing to give up, even if it's necessary to fight serious crime. And the Heat Initiative's proposal is the worst thing you can do to give up everything.' While he acknowledged the idea of introducing systems that bypass protections, he said he could not accept extreme proposals like the Heat Initiative.



In addition, a report from WIRED in September 2023 revealed that the Heat Initiative was pressing Apple to reconsider implementing CSAM prevention technology. In response, Apple sent a letter to the Heat Initiative as an unusual step to justify its policy. 'Scanning every user's personally stored iCloud data would create new threat vectors for data thieves to find and exploit,' the letter said. 'It would also reduce the slippery slope of unintended consequences. For example, scanning certain types of content could open the door to bulk monitoring and create a desire for similar detection across all encrypted messaging systems, regardless of content type. There is even a possibility that the introduction of a surveillance system may lead to the creation of an over-the-top surveillance system.

Apple's strong encryption technology has frequently been criticized by law enforcement agencies and national security hawks. However, if Apple builds a system that allows police agencies to view encrypted conversation content, it is certain that it will be misused, and Apple does not support the construction of such a system. It expresses its position.



In short, the Heat Initiative is asking Apple to ``scan users' personal information,'' but The Intercept points out that the organization has disclosed little information about itself. doing.

The Heat Initiative will raise funds from donors including the Children's Investment Fund, an organization founded by British hedge fund manager and Google activist Chris Cohn, and the Oak Foundation, The New York Times reports. It seems that they are operating based on the funds of 2 million dollars (about 300 million yen). The Oak Foundation is an organization that has donated $250,000 (about 37 million yen) to a pressure group working to undermine end-to-end encryption in the EU.

The Heat Initiative claims that it does not receive any funding from governments or law enforcement agencies, and in fact, apart from its connections to the Children's Investment Fund and the Oak Foundation, it is unclear where the Heat Initiative gets its money. There seems to be almost no information available.

However, if you check

the Terms of Use section of the Heat Initiative's official website, it says, 'This website is owned and operated by the Hopewell Foundation and its affiliates.' A similar quote appears in the privacy policy section of the website, but there is no other mention or explanation of the Hopewell Foundation. The name Hopewell Foundation may be rarely seen in Japan, but in the United States, it is known as a Democratic dark money operation that funnels billions of dollars (hundreds of billions of yen) from anonymous sources into American politics. It is widely reported that the group is a group.

The Hopewell Foundation collects and distributes funds of unknown origin while building a network of organizations that reflect the political will of billionaires. The Hopewell Foundation's network includes many Democratic-leaning nonprofits and charities that fund organizations that promote a wide range of political ideas. According to a report from The New York Times, the Hopewell Foundation is investing a total of $1.2 billion (about 180 billion yen) in election campaigns in 2020 alone.



'The uncertainty surrounding Apple's big-budget pressure campaign to rein in its privacy features is likely to be a concern for privacy advocates,' The Intercept said. He noted that the Hopewell Foundation's large-scale efforts to influence political discourse have sparked criticism and controversy in the past .

Robert Maguire of CREW, a citizen group, said of dark money-run organizations like the Heat Initiative, ``None of these organizations have anything to do with people like me who are tracking dark money.'' They don't want to disclose what they're doing.' 'The dark money management network to which the Heat Initiative belongs is reminiscent of the right-wing philanthropy and dark money management groups owned and operated by the Koch Industries billionaires,' McGuire said, adding that this kind of organization is criticizing.

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