In a significant development, Chinese state-backed experts have reportedly discovered a method to identify individuals who use Apple's encrypted AirDrop messaging service. The Beijing municipal government revealed that experts at the Beijing Wangshen Dongjian Justice Appraisal Institute had successfully devised a way to unveil an iPhone's encrypted device log, thereby enabling them to identify an AirDrop user's phone number and email accounts. This breakthrough was said to have resolved the "tough technological problem of the transmission of inappropriate information with anonymous traceability via AirDrop."

The Beijing municipal government's justice bureau emphasized that this technique had significantly enhanced the efficacy and accuracy of case detection and resolution. It claimed that the method had effectively helped the police identify several case suspects, although it did not specify whether any arrests or convictions had been made as a result. Apple, on the other hand, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

The use of AirDrop during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019 had caught the attention of China's central government, which subsequently quelled the demonstrations. Following this, Apple limited file-sharing for Chinese iPhone users in 2022 after protests erupted against the ruling Communist Party's stringent zero-COVID policy. Reports emerged later that year suggesting that people in China were utilizing AirDrop to distribute digital leaflets critical of the government. These transmissions were believed to have been partly inspired by a protest in Beijing, during which a man hung banners calling for the removal of President Xi Jinping.

In response to these developments, Apple released an AirDrop update in November 2022, which restricted users of Apple smartphones in China to only receive files from unknown contacts during a 10-minute window before it automatically shuts off. This update effectively made it nearly impossible for users to receive unexpected files from strangers. Apple has faced longstanding criticism for perceived concessions made to China's repressive regime, particularly following Beijing's imposition of a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong in 2020 that severely curtailed public dissent in the former British colony.

Furthermore, a Chinese tech company named Wangshendongjian Technology, based in Beijing, claimed to have successfully cracked the encryption around Apple's AirDrop wireless file-sharing function. According to the Beijing Justice Bureau, this company assisted the police in tracking down individuals who had used the service to send "inappropriate information" to commuters in the Beijing subway. As part of the investigation following a complaint, the company was able to identify the senders' mobile phone numbers and email addresses, leading to the identification of several suspects. However, no details were provided regarding the nature of the messages.

AirDrop has been implicated in the dissemination of nuisance messages received by some commuters on subways and buses in Chinese cities. Additionally, it was reported that protesters in China used AirDrop to spread anonymous messages critical of the Chinese government in the last few months of 2022. International media outlets, including The New York Times and Vice World News, reported that residents in China employed AirDrop to distribute leaflets and images echoing slogans used in a rare protest against Chinese leader Xi Jinping in October of that year.

In light of these events, Apple began to restrict AirDrop sharing with non-contacts for devices in China, making it more challenging for users to share files with unfamiliar individuals. This feature was subsequently expanded globally. The ability of Chinese experts to crack the encryption surrounding AirDrop raises concerns about user privacy and the potential for further surveillance and control by the Chinese government.