Technology

Apple Sued for Knowingly Hosting Child Sexual Abuse Material on Its Products, Failing to Protect Survivors

Published

1 year ago

December 8, 2024

Landmark lawsuit brought on behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse images and videos (CSAM) traded on Apple platforms

CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — This weekend, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple on behalf of thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse for knowingly allowing the storage of images and videos documenting their abuse on iCloud and the company’s defectively designed products. The lawsuit alleges that Apple has known about this content for years, but has refused to act to detect or remove it, despite developing advanced technology to do so.

The plaintiffs are being represented by Marsh Law Firm. Additionally, Heat Initiative is providing some support for this lawsuit as part of the organization’s broader Ignite program, which provides legal and advocacy support for victims of child sexual abuse through referrals, research, and funding to empower them to use their voices and hold technology companies accountable.

The images and videos of the plaintiffs’ childhood sexual abuse, which have been stored thousands of times, would have been identified and removed had Apple implemented its 2021 “CSAM Detection” technology. However, Apple terminated the program after its announcement. Other leading technology providers have been proactively detecting and reporting illegal child sex abuse images and videos for more than a decade. Apple’s belated efforts, and subsequent cancellation, leave it among the very few major platforms that do not engage in proactive detection and removal.

The full complaint, as well as a fact sheet and other supporting materials, can be found HERE.

“The knowledge that images of my abuse are still out there is a never-ending nightmare – Apple could have stopped this, but has chosen not to act,” said Jane Doe, a plaintiff in the lawsuit. “Apple has the technology to stop this from continuing, yet they knowingly turn a blind eye. This isn’t just about my story – it’s about standing up for every survivor who deserves safety and dignity. Apple has a responsibility to protect us, and I’m here to demand that they fulfill it.”

“Today, thousands of brave survivors are coming forward to demand accountability from one of the most successful technology companies on the planet. Apple has not only rejected helping these victims, it has advertised the fact that it does not detect child sex abuse material on its platform or devices thereby exponentially increasing the ongoing harm caused to these victims,” said Margaret E. Mabie, Partner at Marsh Law Firm, representing the plaintiffs. “Our clients have endured unimaginable abuse, and yet Apple’s top executives continue to ignore their pleas, fully aware that this illegal contraband remains on their platform. By abandoning their state-of-the-art detection program without offering an alternative, Apple has chosen to prioritize its own corporate agenda over the lives and dignity of survivors. This lawsuit is a call for justice and a demand for Apple to finally take responsibility and protect these victims.”

“Apple wants people to think they are the ‘responsible’ tech company, and this lawsuit demonstrates clearly that, on this issue, they are not,” said Sarah Gardner, Founder and CEO of the Heat Initiative, an organization dedicated to encouraging leading technology companies to combat child sex abuse on their platforms. “The plaintiffs and countless other survivors of child sexual abuse are forced to relive the worst moments imaginable because Apple refuses to implement common sense practices that are standard across the tech industry. They will argue that this is a privacy issue, but they are failing to acknowledge the privacy and basic humanity of the children being raped and sexually assaulted in the videos and images Apple stores on iCloud.”

In August 2021, Apple announced it would implement a new “CSAM Detection” feature, which would have identified known child sexual abuse material in iCloud using NeuralHash, a type of hashing technology that Apple developed. However, after the program was announced, Apple executives reversed their decision and ultimately killed the implementation of the program. At the same time, in 2023, five major tech companies collectively reported more than 32 million pieces of child sexual abuse images and videos on their platforms–Apple reported only 267.

The lawsuit is seeking injunctive relief for Apple to implement basic child safety measures on behalf of the plaintiffs. The claim of negligence and failing to fulfill their duty of care resulting in harms to the plaintiffs stems from two main factors:

Apple’s failure to implement any plan to detect illegal child sexual abuse images and videos when they have full knowledge of its existence on their platform violates their duty of care.If the “CSAM Detection” feature had been implemented, the plaintiffs’ illegal child sexual abuse images would have been detected and removed. Instead they remain on iCloud and devices today, continuing to cause the plaintiffs harm.

Marsh Law Firm focuses its legal practice exclusively on representing survivors of sexual abuse and online exploitation. They are a survivor-focused, trauma-informed, and justice-oriented law firm that advocates for clients both in and out of the courtroom to secure justice and hold perpetrators and the institutions that enable abuse accountable.

Heat Initiative is a collective effort of concerned child safety experts and advocates encouraging leading technology companies to combat child sexual abuse on their platforms. Heat Initiative sees a future where children’s safety is at the forefront of any existing and future technological developments. The Heat Initiative’s Ignite program catalyzes impact litigation to hold technology companies accountable to their duty to prevent and address the sexual exploitation of children on their platforms.

Contact: press@heatinitiative.org

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SOURCE Heat Initiative

Technology

Wondershare Demonstrates AI-Powered Document Workflows with PDFelement at Microsoft AI Tour Hong Kong

Published

28 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

HONG KONG, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wondershare, a global leader in digital productivity and creativity software, showcased its latest AI-powered solutions at the Microsoft AI Tour Hong Kong, highlighting how its flagship product, Wondershare PDFelement, integrates with Microsoft technologies to enable smarter, more secure, and more efficient document workflows for enterprises.

As Microsoft’s flagship global AI event, the Microsoft AI Tour brings together partners and industry leaders to explore how AI is transforming business operations. At the Hong Kong stop, Wondershare demonstrated its deep collaboration with Microsoft across key solution areas, showcasing how its product ecosystem aligns with Microsoft technologies to deliver integrated, end-to-end AI workflows.

At the center of the showcase was Wondershare PDFelement, an AI-powered, all-in-one PDF solution designed to streamline document-centric processes in enterprise environments. Through deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, PDFelement enables seamless interoperability with widely used applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, allowing users to convert PDFs into fully editable formats while preserving original layout and structure. With built-in Office plugins, users can also generate standardized PDFs directly within Microsoft applications. PDFelement further supports deployment in Microsoft Azure environments, enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) for streamlined access management, while maintaining compatibility with Microsoft Rights Management Services (RMS) to securely manage protected documents.

Beyond its ecosystem integration, PDFelement also introduces a suite of AI-powered capabilities to enhance productivity across document workflows. Smart Redact enables automatic detection and masking of over 70 types of sensitive data to support compliance requirements, while Professional AI Translation delivers accurate, industry-specific language output for cross-border collaboration. The Admin Console provides enterprise-grade centralized access and permission control, allowing IT teams to manage AI, cloud, and eSign features with real-time visibility into license usage. At the event, attendees can also experience a range of enhanced AI features, including AI Summarize, Chat with PDF, AI Translate, AI Detect and Rewrite, as well as AI Proofread, Voice, Explain, Grammar Check, and Mind Map Generation.

In addition to PDFelement, Wondershare also showcased how its broader product portfolio integrates with Microsoft technologies. EdrawMax offers full compatibility with Microsoft Visio through bidirectional .vsdx import and export, along with Office add-ins, OLE embedding, and data-driven diagram generation from Excel, while also featuring AI-powered capabilities such as the Edraw Agent, natural language-driven diagram generation, and text-to-diagram conversion across platforms. EdrawMind enables one-click conversion of mind maps into PowerPoint and supports intelligent analysis of Office documents to generate structured knowledge frameworks, alongside AI features including webpage summarization, node-based note generation, and AI-powered search. Filmora is optimized for the Windows AI PC ecosystem, leveraging on-device NPU acceleration for AI-powered video processing, supporting Windows on Arm, and enabling natural language interaction with RAG-based asset matching, while also incorporating AI Extend, AI Portrait, and Smart Cutout. Reelmate provides an AI-powered, agent-driven platform covering the full content production pipeline from generation to post-production for creating premium comic series.

Through live demonstrations, attendees were able to experience how Wondershare’s AI-powered solutions can be applied across real-world enterprise scenarios, from document processing and knowledge management to visual communication and content creation. The showcase attracted strong interest from professionals across industries such as finance, education, information technology, and telecommunications, particularly around capabilities related to document security, automation, and cross-language collaboration.

Wondershare’s participation in the Microsoft AI Tour Hong Kong highlights its continued commitment to advancing practical AI adoption through deep ecosystem integration. By combining AI capabilities with seamless compatibility across Microsoft technologies, Wondershare is helping enterprises build more secure, connected, and efficient workflows for the future.

About Wondershare:

Wondershare is a globally recognized software company founded in 2003, known for its innovative solutions in creativity and productivity. Driven by the mission “Creativity Simplified”, Wondershare offers a range of tools, including PDFelement for document management; EdrawMax, EdrawMind for diagraming, Filmora and SelfyzAI for video editing. With over 2 billion cumulative active users across all products and a presence in over 200 countries and regions, Wondershare empowers the next generation of creators with intuitive software and trendy creative resources, continually expanding the possibilities of creativity worldwide.

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SOURCE Wondershare Technology

Technology

TCL Solar Highlights Groundbreaking Solar Products at Korea Green Energy Expo 2026

Published

28 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

Booth No: K-450

DAEGU, South Korea, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TCL Solar is currently exhibiting its latest photovoltaic solutions at the Korea Green Energy Expo, reinforcing its commitment to advancing South Korea’s renewable energy market. As South Korea is poised to become a key global player in the solar energy sector, the country is on track to achieve a cumulative installed solar capacity of 55.7GW by 2030, with over 5GW set to be installed annually. Among the growing demand, distributed and floating photovoltaic systems are driving significant market expansion.

TCL Solar is actively supporting South Korea’s renewable energy goals by offering high-efficiency, reliable solar modules and localized services that are integral to helping the country meet its solar installation targets and accelerate its transition to sustainable energy.

TCL Solar is showcasing its T5 Pro TOPCon Multi-Cut Product, which utilizes advanced TOPCon technology with overlapping cell architecture, offering a maximum power output of up to 670W、755W. This cutting-edge solution represents the pinnacle of high-efficiency solar energy.

Additionally, the C2 BC Module, powered by Back Contact technology, delivers significantly higher energy yields, making it perfect for complex applications with high BOS costs, low ground reflectivity, limited land availability, partial shadow scenarios, or aesthetic requirements.

The BC module with its no busbar design and no front metal lines present a more visually appealing aesthetic, meeting Korean architectural requirements. Offering a power output 20W higher than TOPCon modules, it also maintains significantly better hot spot resistance and a degradation rate of just 0.35%.

Additionally, the company introduced the lightweight modules (5.4kg/m², reducing weight by 49%) that are particularly suitable for low-load rooftops of aging factories in Korea.

Besides, the company proudly congratulate Prana Solution Co., Ltd. on winning the 2025 TCL Solar Top Sales Award on site. This remarkable achievement highlights the strong partnership between Prana Solution and TCL Solar, built on a shared commitment to innovation and sustainable energy.

Backed by TCL Zhonghuan’s (TCL Solar parent company) advanced manufacturing capabilities including the launch of the industry’s first 4.0 silicon wafer factory in 2020, TCL Solar guarantees excellent quality and technical support. TCL Solar will continue to collaborate with local partners to help South Korea achieve its renewable energy goals, while advancing its global expansion through partnership with the Korean market for mutual growth.

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SOURCE TCL Solar

Technology

BCG Reports $14.4 Billion in Revenue, Marking 22nd Consecutive Year of Growth

Published

28 minutes ago

April 23, 2026

Tech- and AI-Focused Services Now Represent More than 40% of Total RevenueBCG Grew to 33,500 Employees

BOSTON, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has reported 7% global revenue growth, rising to $14.4 billion in 2025 from $13.5 billion in 2024, marking its 22nd consecutive year of growth. The firm expanded across all regions, reflecting client demand globally for large-scale transformation and applied AI impact.

Growth in 2025 was driven by clients seeking to harness technology and AI, pursue new avenues of growth, achieve cost excellence, and redesign their organizations for sustained results. AI- and tech-focused services now represent over 40% of BCG’s total revenue, driven by 25% year-over-year growth in AI services. BCG’s applied AI approach, embedding technology in real business operations at enterprise scale, enabled exponential impact for clients including IBM, Reckitt, and Foxconn.

“Our growth reflects the ambition of our clients and the dedication of our teams,” said Christoph Schweizer, BCG’s CEO. “We partner with leaders at defining moments to navigate uncertainty, embrace AI, and turn strategy into sustained advantage. As AI reshapes business, it is also reshaping how we operate as a firm. AI is now woven into every offering, client relationship, and daily case team experience to drive transformation and multiply impact for our clients.”

Building Up BCG’s Team to Deliver Transformational Results
BCG continued to expand its global talent base in 2025, growing its workforce to 33,500 employees. The firm added AI engineers, data scientists, IT architects, and deep-industry specialists, while continuing to develop its consulting teams to lead complex end-to-end transformations.

AI upskilling efforts have further accelerated across the firm, equipping teams to combine human judgment with AI-powered tools. BCG employees now use AI tools daily, with nearly 4,000 BCG employees actively developing and scaling AI workflows through advanced coding and automation. LinkedIn’s AI Talent Maturity Index places BCG’s workforce as leaders in the industry.

“Our people are at the center of our performance,” Schweizer said. “Their judgment, empathy, and ability to combine applied AI with strategic clarity are what enable us to deliver lasting impact for clients.”

Serving Clients in an Applied AI World
As AI reshapes industries, BCG is embedding AI directly into how it designs and delivers client solutions. Over the past year, the firm has reimagined its offerings by integrating AI into core consulting workflows—embedding proprietary knowledge, data, and proven delivery approaches into reusable, human-led agentic processes that accelerate impact.

Through BCG X, the firm builds bespoke AI solutions where differentiation matters most, deploying industry-specific platforms such as Auto AI, Retail AI, and Deep Customer Engagement AI directly into client systems. In 2025, BCG launched the BCG X AI Science Institute to advance frontier applications across industries, strengthening its work at the intersection of science, technology, and business transformation. BCG also serves as an ecosystem orchestrator working to deliver integrated solutions in collaboration with its tech alliance partners.

To best serve clients, BCG remains a leader in developing and using AI in a manner that is secure, responsible, and trusted by clients, partners, and regulators. BCG was among the first 100 organizations globally, and the only premium consulting firm, certified for ISO/IEC 42001 International Standard for AI Management Systems.

Media Contact:
Brian Bannister
Bannister.Brian@bcg.com

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)