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SITONG BRIDGE PROTEST PROMPTS APPLE’S LATEST BOW TO BEIJING
“We want food, not COVID tests; reform, not Cultural Revolution. We want freedom, not lockdowns; elections, not rulers. We want dignity, not lies. Be citizens, not slaves.” An unknown person made headlines last month after hanging a banner from Beijing’s Sitong Bridge with these words handpainted across it in bright red.
The censors quickly got to work. Posts including words like “bridge” and “Sitong” were censored on Weibo, Baidu and other leading Chinese social media platforms.
But Chinese companies (working at Beijing’s behest) weren’t alone in their efforts to stifle discussions about the protest. China Digital Times reported that Apple Music removed the song “Sitong Bridge” from its Chinese streaming service.
And just this week there was news of China-specific restrictions for iPhone’s AirDrop feature, which allows one to share a message or image with anyone in close physical range. Apple users in mainland China can still use this feature, but South China Morning Post reports that it gives them a “10 minute time limit in which to receive files from non-contacts.” The move may have come in response to reports that people were sharing photos and videos of the Sitong Bridge protest by AirDropping them to strangers in public parks and on subways.