Strengthening Cyber Defense: China’s Actions Against AirDrop and Bluetooth File Sharing

After protesters used various mobile file-sharing services such as AirDrops and Bluetooth to evade censorship, spread protest messages, and impose more restrictions on their use, China is restricting the use of these services to impose more restrictions and expand its censorship mechanisms. 

In October 2022, protesters in China used the AirDrop app to upload content to one another, bypassing censorship and internet restrictions during anti-government protests. This led to AirDrop’s move. AirDrop’s use on Chinese devices was limited a few weeks after Apple limited its use. 

The Cyberspace Administration of China is proposing to force “close-range mesh network services” to keep logs regarding what is deemed harmful and illegal information, and to report such files to the authorities if they become aware of them. 

The Cyberspace Administration of China published a draft proposal on cybercrime earlier this week. This was in response to a request from a body headed by leader Xi Jinping. 

Described in the regulation as a means of maintaining national security and [protecting public interests] through the regulation of technology such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi that enables close-range wireless communication, the regulation is meant to best

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