An organization based in Beijing (China) said it has discovered a way to identify AirDrop users sending messages after bypassing its encryption function.
According to Android Authority, AirDrop is a popular iOS feature that allows Apple device owners to quickly share things like documents, pictures, etc. All users have to do is be near another device and Enable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirDrop to share files securely through end-to-end encryption.
However, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice (BMBJ) said it had found a way to bypass that encryption to identify users. This technique allegedly allowed BMBJ to see the phone numbers and email addresses of these senders.
The discovery is part of the Chinese government’s efforts to remove content it considers undesirable. For example, AirDrop has been widely used to share unauthorized content with nearby people. BMBJ claims police used their techniques to identify multiple suspects. However, a report from Bloomberg said police have not revealed whether anyone has been arrested based on this technique.
BMBJ also said that this technique helps “improve the efficiency and accuracy of case resolution and prevent the spread of inappropriate comments and potential negative effects.”