Apple’s U-turn on child abuse images highlights privacy predicament; and regulating tomorrow’s cars

MLex Market Insight

Apple may have hoped that its decision to search the contents of its iPhones to identify images of child sexual abuse would have been welcomed. Instead, the prospect of Apple delving into the contents of people’s handsets, and the fear that any backdoor into devices could be widened, sparked a backlash, prompting the tech giant to back away from the proposal — at least, for now. But the controversy has served to highlight Apple’s predicament, with its reputation as a company focused on strong privacy safeguards making it attractive to those wanting to keep their affairs away from the gaze of law-enforcement agencies. Also on today’s podcast: the regulatory challenges posed by electric, connected and automated cars. From antitrust, to data privacy and security, to designing the recharging stations of the future — lawmakers are being asked to make decisions today about the future of mobility.