This sarcasm is unbecoming. Client side filtering absolutely is not a panacea for “safe” end to end encryption. It is a cop in your pocket. Dystopia. The UK can continue making up its own reality if it wishes, strong encryption is the only way forward.

Apple's plan was awful. How about there be no scanning at all? If you don't want your stuff scanned then don't put it on icloud or encrypt it before you put it there. I personally don't want scan-all-the-things policing software put on any of my devices. That should require a warrant at the least.

But you see what happens when there is no scanning at all: politicians hook onto this awful crime to argue against e2ee.

Of course, e2ee everywhere (e2eee? e2e3?) would be all fine and dandy if you didn't have these malicious actors. But we do.

Suppose there are three options:

1. Encryption and no CSAM scanning 2. Encryption and on-device CSAM scanning 3. No encryption

Currently we have 1 (more or less). Legislators are increasingly averse to keeping it that way, and are arguing for 3. Apple proposed 2.

What is the alternative? Is there another option?

That's why you fire your representative and get a new one. Two wrongs don't make a right. Don't bend on this or they will break you later. The US government is already heading towards fascism with Trump's likely win in 2024, we don't need to speed it along.