Apple AirDrop's encryption code has been cracked by a Chinese tech company to trace users of the wireless file-sharing feature.
The Wangshendongjian Technology said its discoveries will be used to help police monitor and prevent transmission of "inappropriate information" to passersby, according to China's Justice Bureau on Monday.
According to the report, the encryption crack will enable authorities to identify the users' mobile phone numbers and email addresses.
The findings have already been used to identify several suspects for "illegally delivering and spreading bad information" to people in subways, buses, and shopping malls.
How Does the Apple AirDrop Encryption Work?
The AirDrop app allows users to send content to other nearby Apple devices even without an internet connection.
Its encryption system works as a way to prevent other devices from seeing the encoded message or where it came from.
The encrypted content-sharing app is one of the popular methods Hong Kong protesters used to send anonymous messages containing anti-government posters in 2019.
AirDrop has also been used to spread invitations for the wave of protests in mainland China against leader Xi Jinping in 2022. The protests were made in response to the government's COVID-19 policies.
Apple has since limited AirDrop features in the East Asian country following pressure from the Chinese government.
China remains Apple's biggest market and its main manufacturer for iPhone devices.
Also Read: Apple Limits AirDrop Spam With New 'Everyone for 10 Minutes' Option In China
China Continues to Crack Down on Government Dissenters
The crackdown on the AirDrop encryption is only the latest development in China's actions to dissuade the population from rising for another protest again.
Recent policies in the mainland have already restricted information citizens were able to access on the internet and social media.
Google and App have also been forced to comply with government pressure by taking down several apps used by protesters to spread and disseminate messages to the people.
Since the protest in 2022, many citizens have already been arrested and detained following a series of police crackdowns across the country.
Related Article: Apple, Google Take Down Various Apps Used by Hong Kong Protesters
