Apple Sues the YouTuber Who Leaked iOS 26

WIRED

2 days ago

In a lawsuit filed against prominent leaker Jon Prosser, Apple alleges a conspiracy to break into a development device and steal its trade secrets. Prosser insists Apple has it all wrong. iOS 26 is displayed on the Apple iPhone. Courtesy of Apple
Leaks are a constant part of big product news cycles, particularly for companies like Apple. Online soothsayers like Jon Prosser and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have long predicted the content of upcoming Apple announcements, citing anonymous sources from within the company to glean glimpses of what's next. They have been correct often enough to become a real pain for the Cupertino company.
Now, Apple has seized upon an opportunity to fight back against leaks. In a complaint filed Thursday in US federal court for the Northern District of California, Apple is accusing prominent leaker Jon Prosser of allegedly scheming to 'break into an Apple development iPhone, steal Apple's trade secrets, and profit from the theft.'
The suit alleges that, along with a coconspirator, Prosser, who makes videos on the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, deliberately took advantage of an Apple employee named Ethan Lipnik who had access to a developer iPhone running the as-of-yet unreleased software that would become iOS 26. The suit alleges that the other defendant, Michael Ramacciotti, who was staying at Lipnik's home at the time, waited for Lipnik to leave before accessing the development phone and showing details of the unreleased software to Prosser over a video call. Prosser then allegedly used information obtained in that early peek at iOS in videos that he posted on his YouTube channel well before Apple officially announced the updates.
The suit also alleges that Ramacciotti claims Prosser masterminded the whole plan, promising Ramacciotti he would 'find out a way for [Mr. Ramacciotti] to get payment.'
Prosser has denied any wrongdoing, and says the details of the suit are incorrect. In public posts on X, Prosser has maintained that this was not how things went down on his end.
'The details that Apple was given are just not accurate,' Prosser wrote to me via a direct message on X. 'I had no knowledge of how the info was obtained. He never told me he 'needed money' and I absolutely did not instruct him to act this out.'
Prosser doesn't deny that he did reveal the information gleaned from Ramacciotti. He highlighted the details about the unreleased update in a series of videos earlier this year, including one in which he called the news, 'the biggest iOS leak ever.'
Despite the question of how he actually acquired the information, the aftermath has been messy. Ethan Lipnik, the Apple employee who had the development phone that Ramacciotti is alleged to have accessed, was fired by the company. According to the complaint, Apple ended Lipnik's employment 'for failing to follow Apple's policies designed to protect its confidential information, including development devices and unreleased software and features.'
Apple has not responded to requests for comment. Ethan Lipnik has also not responded to a request for comment.
'It's quite a significant lawsuit,' says Anshel Sag, principal analyst at the tech research firm Moor Insights & Strategy, in an email. 'But I also believe that there is quite a disparity between what Prosser is saying and what Apple alleges, especially since the employee seemed to not be aware of what was going on.'
The biggest problem being alleged here, Sag says, is that while the data was taken from a development device that should have been better protected, how that data was acquired and where it came from should have been vetted before the details were put out into the world.
'Ultimately, every company fights leaks, especially Apple, but with this happening entirely in the US the company has a lot more power and laws to support its efforts,' Sag says. Many Apple leaks have historically come from sources outside the US, such as from within its manufacturing and supply chain partners in Asia. Because the complaint focuses on events that allegedly took place in California, Apple can argue in federal court that two US laws—the Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Computer Fraud And Abuse Act—have been violated.
Prosser says he didn't even find out about the lawsuit until reading a MacRumors story about the filing.
'I feel awful that Ethan was terminated over this,' Prosser says. 'I wish he had shared with Apple what had occurred and I wish that Apple would have connected with me for more answers—I would have gladly chatted with them.'