Probably the main issue is that every time a technology or regulation that starts like that (“you don’t need to worry if you’re not doing anything wrong”) is then inevitably expanded into repressive activities by governments around the world.
Oh absolutely, the laws that started all of this are terribly thought through, all a child pornographer has to do to avoid these controls is not use iCloud Photo Library. That's it, just do that and they can have as much child porn on their phones as they like, and share it however they like using iMessage or anything else.
> all a child pornographer has to do to avoid these controls is not use iCloud Photo Library
Yes, so as it is today, this system isn't even useful for its stated purpose. Apple are not so stupid that they don't know that. Either it will not always be as it is today, or the stated original purpose isn't the ultimate purpose.
After all, the problem you state has a simple and obvious solution: just scan everything on the device.
The only saving grace is that a full database of copyright material won't fit on a current device, so as long as you avoid offending people in power in your jurisdiction you're probably fine for a few years.
Or maybe be they are just doing what they said they are doing for the reasons they gave, to comply with the law, and that’s that. But apparently that not even a possibility you can conceive of.
