I'm not sure such a big conspiracy is needed. After all, the reason "nothing to hide" memes are so common is that a lot of people believe them enthusiastically. It seems entirely plausible to me that a core team of passionate crusaders could have driven this project to completion by just making it too awkward for anyone to object. For a sample of outside perspectives (https://www.npr.org/2021/08/06/1025402725/apple-iphone-for-c...):
> Meanwhile, the computer scientist who more than a decade ago invented PhotoDNA, the technology used by law enforcement to identify child pornography online, acknowledged the potential for abuse of Apple's system but said it was far outweighed by the imperative of battling child sexual abuse.
> "Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer," John Clark, the president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said in a statement. "With so many people using Apple products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children."
This is possible, but the decision is coming from higher up. I can certainly see apple engineers thinking this would really work, by focusing entirely upon the singular problem and getting a chance to use fancy tech. But at the end of the day Timmy is the head cook, and decisions like this go against apples "mission", so, there's incentive higher than just the engineers.
> Meanwhile, the computer scientist who more than a decade ago invented PhotoDNA, the technology used by law enforcement to identify child pornography online, acknowledged the potential for abuse of Apple's system but said it was far outweighed by the imperative of battling child sexual abuse.
> "Apple's expanded protection for children is a game changer," John Clark, the president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said in a statement. "With so many people using Apple products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children."