As per new reports, China’s Cyberspace Administration is planning to introduce new regulations targeting file-sharing functions such as Bluetooth and Apple’s AirDrop due to national security concerns.
The proposed regulations, outlined in a draft document, cover close-range wireless communications technologies like Bluetooth and WiFi. The aim is to maintain national security and social public interests, and the public has been given a month to provide feedback on the proposed regulations.
China’s Cyberspace Administration To Introduce New Rules and Regulations About Sharing
Under the draft regulations, service providers will be required to prevent the sharing of harmful and illegal information over these networks. Users will also be expected to refrain from producing, copying, and distributing undesirable information, with non-compliance to be reported to the authorities.
The use of these file-sharing functions will require users to register with their real names, and the functions will be turned off by default.
The strict censorship rules in China make sharing messages and images without revealing identities a way to bypass monitoring on messaging and social media platforms.
Other phone manufacturers, such as Google’s Android and Chinese brands like Oppo and Xiaomi, also have similar functions compatible with their devices.
Apple Introduced a Time Limit for AirDrop Usage in China
Apple’s AirDrop came into the spotlight in 2022 when Chinese protesters used it to share messages critical of the government, bypassing surveillance. In response, Apple introduced a time limit for AirDrop usage in China, allowing users to receive files from non-contacts for a maximum of 10 minutes at a time.
In a separate development, China launched a cybersecurity probe into Micron Technology, a major American memory chipmaker, in apparent retaliation for new restrictions imposed by US allies in Asia and Europe on the sale of critical technology to Beijing. The Cyberspace Administration of China will review Micron’s products in the country to ensure the security of key information infrastructure supply chains and prevent cybersecurity risks.
These actions by China reflect its ongoing efforts to regulate and control cyberspace and safeguard national security in the digital realm.
