I'm getting used to seeing anti-Apple rants on HN based on very flimsy connections, but this one is egregious: the man's wrongful conviction, the struggle to exonerate himself, and his final justification and liberty have nothing to do with Apple or any 'mistaken' technological evidence, but actually the reverse.
If he'd been carrying a device (back in 1990) that could have located him away from the scene of a crime, then it would have been a help and not a hindrance to his case.
It probably speaks to how few posters here have had any real world experience dealing with governments beyond the daily procedural stuff like ID's and tax payments.
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/apple-csam-child-...
The courts job is to exonerate you not the police. Once the police start to zero in on you every incentive they have is to find a reason to bring you to court. Now you have to spend potentially thousands of dollars and a great deal of your time to defend yourself even if the case is "open and shut". Anything that makes the process "push button" is terrible for a law abiding citizen and potentially life destroying.
This is the difference between tyranny and due process. CSAM Takes away due process by automating the process of guilt. It doesn't matter if its well intentioned.
Turns out if you pander to wannabe-autocrats, people will remember.
Once the slow grinding wheels of government start moving against you there is no stopping it. You often find your entire life at a halt. Call it what you want but I"m not carrying a govt fastpass to jail in my pocket.