Updated January 9, 2024 at 8:32am ET
top line
Chinese government officials claim they have access to a tool that helps identify users of Apple’s AirDrop feature from encrypted device logs, and are using it to crack down on anonymous senders of “inappropriate speech”. It added that Chinese authorities may step up scrutiny of a tool called AirDrop. It was previously used by anti-government protesters in the country.
important facts
In an online post, China’s Bureau of Justice claimed that the privately run Beijing Wangshen Dongjian Forensic Medical Appraisal Institute had built a tool to overcome “technical difficulties in tracking anonymous AirDrops.”
The agency said its forensic science lab was able to create a tool that analyzed the encrypted logs on the recipient’s iPhone and decrypted the AirDrop sender’s phone number and email.
The post said the information decoded by the tool helped police “identify several suspects” behind the “inappropriate” speech, although it was unclear whether any arrests had been made.
The Justice Department said the technology could be used to create “malicious actions” such as “transmitting illegal photos, videos, and audio, and illegally broadcasting and disseminating bad information to nearby people in crowded places such as subways, buses, and shopping malls.” suggests that it is intended to target people who use AirDrop for “certain purposes.”
The post added that since AirDrop’s use does not require an internet connection, “traditional network monitoring methods cannot effectively monitor this activity,” forcing authorities to rely on forensic science labs. .
Forbes reached out to Apple for comment on whether any potential iPhone security vulnerabilities are being exploited by this tool.
news peg
AirDrop is a unique service that allows Apple product owners to wirelessly send and receive files between two devices. AirDrop is supported by almost all Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The service has been the subject of some controversy as it has been used for fake hijacking threats and for people to share nude photos in public.
Main background
AirDrop has emerged as a popular tool for protesters in both mainland China and Hong Kong in recent years because it allows content to be shared between devices outside of China’s heavily monitored and censored internet. In 2019, Hong Kong residents used airdrops as a way to share protest documents and digital pamphlets. In 2022, young Chinese people protesting President Xi Jinping’s strict zero-corona virus measures also used AirDrop to send photos and messages. Since then, Chinese authorities have attempted to crack down on the service, eventually forcing Apple to follow through with a software update later that year that restricted Chinese iPhone users from receiving AirDrops from anyone. Domestic users can currently only choose to receive messages from “Contacts Only”, while the option to receive from “Everyone” is only turned on for 10 minutes before turning off automatically. Last year, China’s internet regulator announced new proposals to tighten restrictions on local file sharing via AirDrop and Bluetooth, citing national security concerns.
References
China says it cracked Apple AirDrop to determine message source (Bloomberg)
Hong Kong protesters cleverly use AirDrop to break through China’s firewall (Quartz)
Apple’s AirDrop attracts attention as China restricts Wi-Fi and Bluetooth file sharing due to “national security” concerns (South China Morning Post)
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