Apple hobbled a crucial tool of dissent in China weeks before widespread protests broke out
That changed on Nov. 9, when Apple released a new version of its mobile operating system, iOS 16.1.1, to customers worldwide. Rather than listing new features, as it often does, the company simply said, This update includes bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.
Hidden in the update was a change that only applies to iPhones sold in mainland China: AirDrop can only be set to receive messages from everyone for 10 minutes, before switching off. There s no longer a way to keep the everyone setting on permanently on Chinese iPhones. The change, first noticed by Chinese readers of 9to5Mac, doesn t apply anywhere else.
AirDrop has been an effective communication tool for protestors in Hong Kong, as Quartz previously documented. It s been used to communicate with other protestors, reach passersby, and spread messages to tourists from mainland China visiting Hong Kong. On the mainland, protestors have also AirDropped protest literature, particularly on college campuses where some of the current protests have broken out. China s control of the internet has become so strong that dissidents must cling to any crack in the so-called Great Firewall.
That darn Apple.