China Says It Cracked Apple AirDrop to Identify Message Sources
- Beijing agency claims to have found way to identify senders
- Declaration follows efforts to crack down on sensitive content
Chinese flags hang from a lamp post in front of an Apple Inc. store in Shanghai.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergA Chinese state-backed institution has devised a way to identify users who send messages via Apple Inc.’s popular AirDrop feature, Beijing’s government claims, as part of broader efforts to root out undesirable content.
The Beijing institute developed the technique to crack an iPhone’s encrypted device log to identify the numbers and emails of senders who share AirDrop content, the city’s judicial bureau said in an online post. Police have identified multiple suspects via that method, the agency said, without disclosing if anyone was arrested.