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Apple did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment but told Bloomberg it plans to expand the 10 minute sharing option to other markets eventually. Even if that’s true, the timing isn’t great. The sharing changes come just weeks after Chinese protests drew the ire of the Chinese government by using AirDrops to share critical photos opposing President Xi Jinping.
Apple’s drawn increased scrutiny in recent years for its, let’s just call it “complicated” relationship with China. Though the company’s brand and identity outside of the country hinge on strong commitments to privacy, critics worry those same values often fall flat in China, which is both the company’s single largest manufacturer and, increasingly, one of its largest consumer markets.
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A New York Times investigation last year accused Apple of giving in to government calls to hold Chinese consumer data on Chinese servers, and of collaborating in censoring certain apps. Similarly, Apple has notoriously refrained from releasing certain privacy focused features in the country, such as its “Private Relay” encrypted browsing service.
On the business side, China’s tense geopolitical relationship with the U.S. and strict covid-19 containment philosophies are also having an effect on Apple. A recent covid-19 outbreak in a Zhengzhou Foxconn factory forced officials to issue a seven day lockdown. That lockdown halted iPhone production, so much so that the company revealed it’s expecting shipment disruption for the upcoming holiday shopping season.