Apple has initiated legal proceedings in the Northern District of California against Jon Prosser, accusing him of misappropriating trade secrets and breaching the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This lawsuit arises from a series of leaks pertaining to iOS 19, which revealed insights into the operating system’s features and design.
The company asserts that it was alerted in April about the leaks, specifically naming Michael Ramacciotti, another defendant, who allegedly accessed the Development iPhone of an Apple employee, Ethan Lipnik. Apple claims that Ramacciotti utilized location tracking to figure out when Lipnik would be away from home, obtained his passcode, and infiltrated the Development iPhone, which lacked sufficient security measures. During a video call with Prosser, Ramacciotti reportedly showcased features of the unreleased iOS 19, which Prosser subsequently recorded and disseminated on his YouTube channel, profiting from the disclosed information.
Apple underscores the significance of confidentiality in its development process and voices concern that Prosser might have additional confidential materials. The company is requesting a jury trial and has detailed various demands, including a favorable judgment, injunctive relief, damages, punitive damages, and an order to avert further exposure of its trade secrets.
In turn, Prosser has contested Apple’s claims on social media, sharing his own narrative of how he acquired the information. As the case progresses, further developments are expected.
