Apple will scan photo libraries stored on iPhones in the US for known images of child sexual abuse, the company says... The company will also examine the contents of end-to-end encrypted messages for the first time...

Apple’s tool... will scan images before they are uploaded to the company’s iCloud Photos online storage, comparing them against a database of known child abuse imagery. If a strong enough match is flagged, then Apple staff will be able to manually review the reported images, and, if child abuse is confirmed, the user’s account will be disabled and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) notified...

But researchers worry the matching tool... could be put to different purposes... [including] government surveillance of dissidents or protesters...

Apple has been under government pressure for years to allow for increased surveillance of encrypted data...

Apple denied that the changes amounted to a backdoor that degraded its encryption...

“At Apple, our goal is to create technology that empowers people and enriches their lives – while helping them stay safe,” the company said... “We want to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of child sexual abuse material"...