Apple globally censoring this iPhone communication feature deserves renewed scrutiny

Two years ago, Apple effectively censored a core iPhone communication feature. The change was reportedly initially made at the request of the Chinese government. However, Apple quickly implemented the change to all iPhones globally a few months later.

Apple essentially endorsed China’s censorship demands by voluntarily enforcing the limit on all iPhone users, including the United States and every other democratic nation. Despite being controversial at the time, Apple’s decision has not faceted sustained public scrutiny. Instead, user control and a decentralized communication method were lost under the guise of safety

AirDrop was widely reported to be a useful tool for distributing information among protesters who pushed back against the authoritarian regime. A single iPhone could prompt a file share to dozens of nearby iPhones with AirDrop receiving from anyone enabled — something internet censorship couldn’t stop.

Prior to the update, AirDrop had three receiving modes: Everyone, Contacts Only, and Receiving Off. iOS 16.1.1 replaced the Everyone option with Everyone for 10 Minutes for iPhone users in China. This change removed the option to keep AirDrop in receiving mode. Instead, the Contacts Only option was enforced on iPhones after 10 minutes.

Apple never acknowledged that it made the change to AirDrop at the request of the Chinese Communist Party.