Before the massive protests against Xi Jinping's communist regime broke out, Apple decided to disable the AirDrop app in China in order to block the transmission of uncensored messages between protesters. AirDrop is one of Apple's own features that allows the exchange of files between Apple devices that are in close range via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The advantage AirDrop has over other file sharing tools is that it creates its own local network that cannot be monitored by government administrations on the Internet. In other words, censorship is not applied to files or communications that use the feature.
The company headed by Tim Cook managed to deactivate this tool through the latest iOS update. Next year, the tech giant plans to update AirDrop so the 'Everyone' feature, which sends the selected file to all devices in range, is only available every 10 minutes. Coincidentally, the new iOS update means that this feature is already integrated into devices in China.
In this way, Apple has helped the Chinese communist regime to suppress protesters. In addition, the company has eliminated user privacy by blocking VPNs, connections that support privacy and security on the Internet.
Reduced production of iPhones
Apple's flagship product could see its production drop in China due to mass protests against Xi Jinping's communist regime. The director of the investment firm Wedbush, Dan Ives, predicted the end of Apple's production in China may be near:
The Apple zero Covid situation this month is potentially the straw that broke the camel's back for Cook and Cupertino around China build out policy. The China government situation is untenable and Twilight Zone for companies trying to produce products in China. Fork in road time
- Dan Ives (@DivesTech) November 29, 2022
Protests at the Foxconn plant located in Zhengzhou, where Apple manufactures the vast majority of the world's iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, caused production to drop by around 6 million devices. As a result, the company's shares are down 19% since last year.
