China claims to decode Apple Airdrop encryption to identify senders

(CNN) – A Chinese technology company has managed to decode the encryption on Apple’s AirDrop wireless file-sharing feature to identify users of the popular feature, according to the Beijing Justice Bureau.

The company, Beijing-based Wangshendongjian 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 in a statement on Monday.

According to the statement, as part of the investigation after the complaint, it identified the mobile phone numbers and email addresses of the senders. Several suspects were identified, he said, without elaborating on the nature of the messages.

The airdrop was blamed for harassing messages received by some travelers on subways and buses in Chinese cities. Protesters also used a popular wireless file-sharing feature to spread anonymous messages critical of the Chinese government in the final months of 2022.

The company “overcame the technical difficulties of anonymous traceability through airdrop,” which “prevents the further spread of inappropriate comments and potentially bad influence,” according to the statement.

CNN has reached out to Apple ( AAPL ) for comment.

According to international media, including The New York Times and Vice World News, some Chinese residents used airdrops to distribute leaflets and images used in rare protests against Chinese leader Xi Jinping in October, which can only be used between Apple devices. of that year.

In 2019, the airdrop, which is only effective over short distances, was particularly popular among anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, who regularly used the facility to send colorful posters and artwork to subway passengers urging them to participate in protests.

In November 2022, Apple began limiting AirDrop sharing to people who did not have contacts for devices in China, making it difficult for users to share files with people they did not know. Later, this facility was expanded worldwide.