Maybe something will come of the COVID lockdown protests in China. Maybe not, if you’re old enough to remember the guy who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square, and who was never identified nor ever seen again. More likely, the Chinese Communist Party will crack down again, and the people of China will become compliant again.

And the West will turn a blind eye. Again.

On Nov. 9, Apple released iOS 16.1.1. One change applied only to iPhones sold in China: AirDrop’s “Everyone” setting lasts only for 10 minutes, limiting direct connections and hobbling a tool that “has been an effective communication tool for protestors.” …

In other words, Chinese iPhone users can’t do or say anything without the CCP knowing about it. Dissent can be quashed before it even starts. The Chinese people can be kept under the CCP’s thumb. And Apple is helping.