Apple Limits AirDrop Feature in China After Protestors Used It, Says Report

Apple has added new restrictions to AirDrop used on iPhones on mainland China, in line with a Bloomberg report on Thursday.

The corporate’s fashionable wi-fi file-sharing function now has a cap of 10 minutes when receiving recordsdata from “Everybody” or folks saved into the telephone’s listing, versus Contacts. After the 10-minute interval ends, the iPhone will return again to the mode the place it receiving recordsdata from simply contacts, the report stated. Beforehand, there was no time restrict. 

The brand new AirDrop restrictions got here with iPhone’s newest cell software program replace, iOS 16.1.1, which was launched publicly on Wednesday. Information of the adjustments weren’t shared within the notes part of iOS 16.1.1, which is the place Apple sometimes informs folks what the software program replace adjustments or fixes. 

The transfer by Apple comes after protestors in mainland China reportedly used AirDrop, which sends images and recordsdata rapidly over Bluetooth, to share protest materials with members of the general public. China’s long-standing “zero-covid” coverage, amongst different actions, have sparked renewed protests and outcries on-line in current weeks within the nation. Throughout Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in 2019, protestors used AirDrop to unfold their paraphernalia with members of the general public. 

Apple reportedly informed Bloomberg the function is ready to rollout globally within the coming 12 months.

Apple did not instantly reply to a CNET request for remark.