WhatsApp head Will Cathcart criticised Apple's recently announced Child Safety plan, raising privacy concerns over the same.
"I think this is the wrong approach and a setback for people's privacy all over the world," Cathcart wrote on Twitter.
"Apple has long needed to do more to fight CSAM, but the approach they are taking introduces something very concerning into the world," he said.
"Instead of focusing on making it easy for people to report content that's shared with them, Apple has built software that can scan all the private photos on your phone -- even photos you haven't shared with anyone. That's not privacy," he further said.
Apple’s policy
Apple Inc earlier this week announced new technological measures under the umbrella of “Expanded Protections for Children.”
The tech giant will be introducing a range of new "child safety features." As part of the plan, the Messages app will use on-device machine learning to warn about sensitive content. Private communications will be unreadable by Apple, it said.
Further, new features in iOS and iPadOS will help Apple detect Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) detect known CSAM images stored in iCloud Photos.
Additionally, Apple will add updates to Siri and Search to provide parents and children expanded information and help if they encounter unsafe situations. Siri and Search will also intervene when users try to search for CSAM-related topics, Apple said.
For instance, images scanned within Messages can be reported to the parents of children. Apple will use new applications of cryptography for the feature. The iPhone will produce digital fingerprints for the images that are uploaded to iCloud Photos. If they match known images of child sexually exploitative material, those images can be reported to entities such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which can then forward it to law enforcement.
These features will be introduced later this year starting with the United States in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey.
These features have raised concerns among privacy experts.
WhatsApp’s decision
The WhatsApp chief, in his statement said that the messaging platform will not adopt this system.
He further raised concerns over the "mandate to scan the private content of all desktops, laptops or phones globally for unlawful content."
Some experts, along with Cathcart have terms it a "surveillance system." Experts have argued that governments around the world can leverage such systems for government surveillance.
"This is an Apple built and operated surveillance system that could very easily be used to scan private content for anything they or a government decides it wants to control. Countries where iPhones are sold will have different definitions on what is acceptable," Cathcart said.
Apple has refuted the idea stating that the system is in now way built for government surveillance, as per media reports.
The WhatsApp Chief further questioned if the scanning software running on the phone was completely error proof. He further expressed concerns about spyware companies finding a way to exploit this software.
Separately, an open letter made rounds online with over 4,000 signatures. The Apple Privacy Letter urged the iPhone maker to “reconsider its technology rollout," citing statements from privacy experts and organisations.
Apple, in a media briefing on Friday said that the system will be rolled out to other countries depending on the laws of each country where it operates.