Tim Cook—Apple restricted AirDrop functionality in China during anti-lockdown protests
In November 2022, Apple restricted its AirDrop feature in China to limit file sharing to contacts-only by default, a change that coincided with widespread protests against China's zero-COVID policies. Protesters had been using AirDrop to share protest materials with strangers. The timing led to criticism that Apple was helping the Chinese government suppress dissent, though Apple later rolled the change out globally.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authoritarian Compliance | +toward | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.429 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.57)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (1 signal)
Apple limited AirDrop sharing in China during zero-COVID protests
In November 2022, Apple restricted AirDrop in China to contacts-only by default, limiting the ability of strangers to share files. The change coincided with widespread protests against China's zero-COVID policies, where protesters had been using AirDrop to share materials. Critics argued Apple was aiding Chinese government suppression of dissent.