logo
Apple sues Jon Prosser for allegedly breaking into a developmental iPhone to steal trade secrets

Apple sues Jon Prosser for allegedly breaking into a developmental iPhone to steal trade secrets

Phone Arena18-07-2025
While Prosser didn't get everything right, including the change to the iOS 26 name, he did get enough right that it made Apple file a lawsuit against Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti. Apple alleges that Prosser and Ramacciotti hatched a plan to break into a developmental iPhone owned by Apple employee Ethan Lipnik, a friend of Ramacciotti. \ In its court filing, Apple claims that Prosser and Ramacciotti obtained Lipnik's passcode for the developmental iPhone and used location-tracking to figure out a period of time when Lipnik would be away from the phone for "an extended period." Ramacciotti, who was receiving financial compensation from Prosser for helping him break into Lipnik's phone, went on a FaceTime call with Prosser after he supposedly accessed Lipnik's developmental iPhone.
On that call, Ramacciotti showed Prosser iOS 26 running on Lipnik's developmental iPhone. Using tech to capture the FaceTime call, Prosser now had a video that he shared with others and used it to make recreated renders of iOS 26 for his video.
Apple also claims that Lipnik's iPhone contains a "significant amount of additional Apple trade secret information that has not yet been publicly disclosed." How much of that secret information is in Prosser and Ramacciotti's possession is something that Apple does not know.
Apple v. Ramacciotti and Prosser by MacRumors
Interestingly, Apple's court papers say that the company first learned about Prosser and Ramacciotti's plan through an anonymous email tip it received on April 4th, 2025. Besides telling Apple the story that allegedly reveals how Prosser obtained the iOS 26 material he leaked, the email also revealed that Prosser was sharing some of the leaks obtained from Lipnik's iPhone with other unnamed iPhone leakers.
Prosser posted a Tweet on Thursday night stating that he disagreed with how Apple presented the events, adding that he certainly did not plot to obtain anyone's iPhone.
This anonymously created and sent email to Apple got FPT's Jon Prosser in hot water. | Image credit-Scribd
Apple filed its case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint charges Presser and Ramacciotti of Misappropriation of Trade Secrets Under The Defend Trade Secrets Act and Violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Apple seeks an injunction to prevent further disclosure of its confidential trade secrets. Lipnik has been fired for not following Apple's policies to protect development and unreleased devices and software.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

FBI tells you how to protect yourself from this scam that "ends with you losing your savings"
FBI tells you how to protect yourself from this scam that "ends with you losing your savings"

Phone Arena

timean hour ago

  • Phone Arena

FBI tells you how to protect yourself from this scam that "ends with you losing your savings"

The FBI has issued the latest in a series of serious warnings to smartphone users. In the past, the agency has warned smartphone owners about dangerous emails designed to get them to reveal the passwords they use to safeguard their financial apps and protect their banking, crypto, and securities accounts. Now, the FBI is telling connected consumers to worry once again about "The Phantom Hacker Scam," a well-designed scam created to wipe out many smartphone users. "It starts with an unsolicited message, and it ends with you losing your savings," the FBI says. The warning heats up as the FBI says, "The threat is growing fast." The scam starts with communication from the victim's bank via text or email telling them in an urgent manner that they need to call tech support for assistance. When they call the phone number listed in the message, they're told by an imposter pretending to work at the bank that their funds are at immediate risk from a hacker who broke into one of their devices. This is all bogus, of course. The hacker is as fake as the bank employee who tell the victim that he will help him over the phone go through the process of securing his device. To do this, the fake bank employee will pretend to transfer the victim to tech support, and another one of the scammers will pick up the phone to say that he is from the bank's tech support unit. He goes on to tell the victim that a special app needs to be installed on his phone so the bank can check out the level of security on the device. If this ever happens to you and you get to this point, do not allow the app that the bogus bank employees are pushing on you to be installed on your phone. If you do, they will ask you to check your bank accounts for fraudulent transactions. They will do this by asking you to open your banking, securities, or crypto apps. They might ask you to show them the most recent statements from these accounts which can be opened via an app or a website using your phone's mobile browser. The thing is, thanks to the app they asked you to install, whatever you see on your phone, they can see. That's why you should not agree to have the app they suggest you add to your device, installed on your phone, tablet, or any other connected device you use. FBI warns the public about the Phantom Hacker Scam. | Image credit-FBI If you don't heed this warning, the scammers will now know exactly how much is in your account and where that cash is. They will then tell you that they can help you move your money to a safe account, which they promise will keep your money away from the made-up hacker they might have told you earlier was a threat to the safety of your funds. The safe account is actually their own bank account or crypto wallet. The transfer is made, and your money is gone forever. To prevent this from happening to you, do not respond to any text, email, or pop-up that is trying to get you to respond to the missive through your fear. These scammers know that if they make you concerned about a made-up hacker, you are going to respond a specific way, and that way is to follow what they tell you to do. The FBI is calling this the "Phantom Hacker Attack" since the attackers make up the story that the victim's bank account is being threatened by a hacker that doesn't exist. Again, that creates fear and the fear can be used to motivate the victim to install a tracking app. Back in 2023, when this scam was originally the subject of warnings by the FBI, the agency suggested that consumers take the following steps to prevent themselves from becoming another victim: Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, links sent via text messages, or email links or attachments. Do not contact the telephone number provided in a pop-up, text, or email. Do not download software at the request of an unknown individual who contacted you. Do not allow an unknown individual who contacted you to have control of your computer. The US Government will never request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards. Use your common sense and don't let your emotions take over, driving you to do something or agree to something that you'd ordinarily never do. Switch to Total Wireless and buy 2 months of a 5G Unlimited plan to score the phone free! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer

This is why your experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be so much different than mine
This is why your experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be so much different than mine

Phone Arena

time7 hours ago

  • Phone Arena

This is why your experience with the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be so much different than mine

Qualcomm's new flagship application processor (AP), the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, is expected to power the top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 Ultra when the phone is released in late January or early February next year. However, a fresh rumor reveals that two Galaxy S26 Ultra owners could have differing experiences with their phones depending on the foundry that produced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 application processor (AP) powering their units. It's a strange situation to think that the Galaxy S26 Ultra in my hand could run faster than the one in yours, and deliver better battery life even though the AP that both are using is the same. Without trying to sound repetitive, the difference would be in the foundry that manufactured the two chipsets and the process node employed by each. In plain English, Qualcomm is rumored to be using "dual-sourcing" for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, which means that some APs will be made by TSMC and some by Samsung Foundry. As of this moment, Qualcomm will dual-source the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 AP. | Image credit-Weibo Posting on Chinese social media site Weibo, tipster Digital Chat Station says that the Samsung-built version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 AP has not yet been cancelled. If true, at this moment, we are looking at two different variants of the chip. TSMC will build the chipset using its third-generation 3nm process node which is the same process TSMC will use to build the A19 APs for the upcoming iPhone 17 series. Samsung Foundry, on the other hand, will use its 2nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process node, which in theory would be technologically superior to TSMC's 3nm version of the chipset. That's because as the process node number drops, so does the size of the transistors employed. Smaller transistors mean an increase in transistor density, which typically measures the number of transistors in a die per square millimeter. This means that a chip carries more transistors in a given area. The transistor density figure is important because as that number rises, it usually means that a foundry can pack more transistors into a given space, which means that smaller transistors are being used. Smaller transistors use less power, switch states more quickly, and reduce the manufacturing cost per function. Samsung Foundry also has another advantage as its 2nm process node includes the use of GAA transistor architecture which results in the gate surrounding the channel on all four sides. This reduces current leaks and improves the drive current, which results in better-performing APs that use less power. The pricing of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is rumored not to be much higher than the price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Part of that is due to Qualcomm's use of its 3nm process (albeit its third-generation version), and Samsung Foundry's involvement. This could be a big deal for the latter, which has a market share in the industry of only 7.7% compared to TSMC's 67.6% (both figures are Q1 2025 numbers). Also, it would be a positive sign that Samsung Foundry has been able to improve its awful yield figures and was able to hit its goal of 50%. Whatever happens with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, there is speculation that Qualcomm will copy Apple next year and offer two different versions of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3. With a much higher price expected to be charged by TSMC for its 2nm wafers, a pricier, more cutting-edge version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3 made by TSMC could be used in more premium versions of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S27 series in 2027. The non-premium version of the AP would be made by Samsung Foundry using its 2nm process and would have lower CPU and GPU clock speeds and reduced cache. Samsung Foundry's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is rumored to have a model number of SM8850s and have the codename 'Kaanapali S'. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3 "Pro" could have a model number of SM8950, with the "non-Pro" model carrying a number of SM8945. Will Qualcomm dual-source the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2? As soon as we have an update, we will let you know.

T-Mobile is sending out checks so large that one customer is happy it was breached
T-Mobile is sending out checks so large that one customer is happy it was breached

Phone Arena

time9 hours ago

  • Phone Arena

T-Mobile is sending out checks so large that one customer is happy it was breached

T-Mobile was breached in 2021, affecting 76 million customers. The company was sued by customers for not properly safeguarding their information, and it decided to pay $350 million to settle the claim. The payments have steadily been going out since late May, and, as expected, some people are getting way more money than first spotted by Android Authority , some Reddit users have received more than $4,000 as their breach settlement payment. While that was expected since affected customers were promised as much as $25,000 by the company, it has still surprised a lot of customers, many of whom got $56.54 at highest payouts to customers were meant for those who spent money to minimize the impact of the data theft and protect themselves from future harm. These customers were requested to provide proof of out-of-pocket who spent time mitigating the effect of the breach could asked to be reimbursed for lost time at a rate of $25 per hour or their hourly remaining users were asked to expect a payment of $25, or $100 if they lived in California when the breach happened. Any money left over in the settlement fund was to be reinjected and added to claims on a proportional basis. This may explain why even customers who didn't claim out-of-pocket losses or lost time received more than expected. Some T-Mobile customers have received more than $4,000 as a settlement payment. | Image Credit - Reddit user brokenshells Data breaches are a sensitive matter and put customers at risk, but since it has been four years, the anger has somewhat subsided. That's why customers are joyously sharing their $4,000 checks, even though in a way, this is money that T-Mobile owed to them for what they had to spend as a result of the breach. One customer even joked that they were happy that their information was leaked. This user appears to have forgiven T-Mobile for the breach. | Image Credit - Reddit user OnePiglet3249 After looking at these huge payouts, some customers are regretting not filing a claim form. Others say they did file a claim but haven't received payment yet. The bulk of the settlement pool will be used to pay lawyers, who will apparently receive $46 million. While that's bound to sting, the bigger takeaway here is that T-Mobile was reprimanded for having lax security, and that's what matters more.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store