Apple Sues Popular Tech Leaker Over iOS 26 Secrets
Insider Allegedly Provided Confidential Information to YouTuber
Tech giant Apple has filed a lawsuit against prominent leaker Jon Prosser and another individual, accusing them of stealing confidential trade secrets related to the upcoming iOS 26. An Apple employee has also been implicated in the alleged data breach.
Allegations of Insider Betrayal
The lawsuit claims that Jon Prosser, working with Michael Ramacciotti, orchestrated a scheme to access an Apple employee’s iPhone. The information obtained from this breach was allegedly used to leak details about iOS 26 prior to its official unveiling.
Apple asserts that Prosser offered incentives, such as money or job prospects, to Ramacciotti in exchange for access to the iPhone belonging to Ethan Lipnik, a software engineer within Apple’s iOS division.
Method of Information Extraction
Court documents suggest that Ramacciotti may have obtained Lipnik‘s iPhone passcode. Investigators believe Ramacciotti used a location tracker to identify when Lipnik was away from his residence for extended periods, allowing him to access the iPhone running a developer version of iOS 26.
According to Apple, Ramacciotti then shared features and new designs of iOS 26 with Prosser via FaceTime. It is alleged that Prosser used a screen recording application to capture these video calls, creating renders of the new iOS version.
Discovery and Employee Dismissal
The leak was reportedly uncovered when an individual recognized Lipnik‘s apartment in a shared video and reported the incident anonymously to Apple. Apple also claims to possess a voice recording from Ramacciotti, where he apologizes to Lipnik for the incident and attributes the idea to Prosser.
Lipnik reportedly submitted this voice note to Apple but was subsequently terminated for failing to adhere to the company’s policies on safeguarding unreleased software.
Prosser’s Response and Legal Demands
Jon Prosser has publicly addressed the lawsuit through a post on X (formerly Twitter), denying Apple’s claims and asserting he has evidence to counter the accusations. He stated,
“I do not ‘complicated’ to access anyone’s cellphone. I don’t have any password. I don’t know how the information was obtained.”
—Jon Prosser, Tech Leaker
In its legal filing, Apple is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent Prosser from further sharing the company’s proprietary information without authorization. The company maintains that even with iOS 26 publicly showcased, other unannounced design elements remain vulnerable trade secrets.
Apple is suing me and accusing me of hacking into an iPhone and stealing trade secrets. this is insane.
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) July 20, 2025
The legal action comes at a time when tech companies are increasingly vigilant about intellectual property protection. For instance, in 2023, a former Google engineer was sentenced to prison for stealing proprietary AI technology, highlighting the severe consequences of such breaches (U.S. Department of Justice, 2023).
