The news that Apple will be launching a new initiative which allows the company to scan people’s iPhones for child sexual abuse content has left the public and experts deeply divided.

The decision to roll out these tools comes in the wake of growing pressure from governments and advocacy groups who say social media platforms and tech giants need to do more to protect children from child sexual abuse.

Child welfare charities and campaigners have welcomed the new tools, saying the initiative would allow better detection of child sex abuse offenders and keep more children from harm. Tech experts and segments of the public criticised the move, accusing the company of surveillance-creep which they say would allow the company to effectively spy on people through a policy which amounts to a breach of their privacy.

While everyone agrees that targeting offenders and keeping children safe is important, confusion remains over how Apple’s new tools work, and whether they really are a threat to peoples’ privacy.

This excellent podcast from Macworld breaks down the way the tools work, and is very much worth a listen.