Allie Song/Reuters
A man checks his mobile phone outside an Apple Store in Shanghai on September 13, 2023.
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Hong Kong
CNN
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A Chinese tech company has successfully cracked the encryption of Apple’s AirDrop wireless file-sharing feature and identified users of the popular feature, the Beijing Judiciary Bureau said.
The Beijing-based company, Wangshen Dongjian Technology, was able to help police track down people who used the service to send “inappropriate information” to passersby on the Beijing subway, the agency said. said in a statement on Monday.
As part of the investigation following the complaint, the company identified the sender’s mobile phone number and email address, the statement said. It said multiple suspects had been identified, but did not provide further details about the nature of the messages.
The company said in a statement that it “overcame the technical difficulties of anonymous tracking through AirDrop” and “prevented the further spread and potential negative impact of inappropriate comments.”
CNN has reached out to Apple (AAPL) for comment.
AirDrop has been blamed for the spam messages some commuters received on subways and buses in Chinese cities. The popular wireless file-sharing feature was also reportedly used by protesters during the final months of 2022 to spread anonymous messages criticizing the Chinese government.
According to international media outlets such as the New York Times and Vice World News, some Chinese residents used AirDrop, which can only be used between Apple devices, to use AirDrop during an unusual protest against Chinese leader Xi Jinping in October. They spread leaflets and images that echoed the slogans used. That year.
In 2019, AirDrop, which only works over short distances, was particularly popular among anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, who regularly used the feature to send colorful, subway passengers urging them to join the protests. I sent posters and artwork.
In November 2022, Apple began restricting AirDrop sharing with contactless devices in China, making it difficult for users to share files with strangers. This feature was later extended worldwide.