Individual Differences: People vary in their "cognitive motivation" (the stable, trait-like construct that determines how much cognitive effort they are willing to invest). There are also individual differences in "causality orientations," ranging from an autonomy orientation (driven by intrinsic motivation) to a control orientation (driven by extrinsic rewards).
#### The Flip Side: A Truth-Seeking Balance
CSAM *is* a plague—devastating survivors and demanding aggressive takedowns (e.g., via NCMEC reporting, already mandatory for tech firms). But evidence shows targeted enforcement works better than blanket surveillance: criminals adapt (VPNs, darknets), while innocents suffer false flags or mission creep (e.g., scanning for "extremism" like neo-Nazi memes). As the Electronic Frontier Foundation and others argue, privacy *protects* victims too—abusers thrive in unencrypted, monitored spaces where data leaks.
If we keep letting "CSAM = Nazi" logic win, we risk a world where every device is a snitch. Push back: Support orgs like EDRI or Reclaim The Net, use E2EE apps, and call out the panic when you see it.