Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Earlier this yr, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared a number of movies displaying off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be referred to as iOS 19 and which was ultimately unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June.

In his first video again in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with an easier set of buttons for transferring between picture and video modes, and he adopted that up with a March episode of his Genius Bar podcast where he showed off the Messages app, full with spherical navigation buttons on the prime and rounded corners across the keyboard.

And he wrapped issues up with an April video that gave a more complete look at the Liquid Glass redesign that finally debuted in ‌iOS 26‌, with rounder, glass-like interface parts, pill-shaped tab bars on the backside of sure Apple apps, and extra.

Whereas the Digicam app redesign did not precisely match what Apple unveiled for ‌iOS 26‌, the final thought was right and far of what else Prosser confirmed was fairly shut to identify on, and Apple clearly took discover as the corporate filed a lawsuit at the moment (Scribd link) in opposition to Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti for misappropriation of commerce secrets and techniques.

Apple’s criticism outlines what it claims is the sequence of occasions that led to the leaks, which centered round a growth iPhone within the possession of Ramacciotti’s pal and Apple worker Ethan Lipnik. In accordance with Apple, Prosser and Ramacciotti plotted to entry Lipnik’s telephone, buying his passcode after which utilizing location-tracking to find out when he “could be gone for an prolonged interval.” Prosser reportedly provided monetary compensation to Ramacciotti in return for helping with accessing the event ‌iPhone‌.

Apple says Ramacciotti accessed Lipnik’s growth ‌iPhone‌ and made a FaceTime name to Prosser, displaying off ‌iOS 26‌ operating on the event ‌iPhone‌, and that Prosser recorded the decision with display screen seize instruments. Prosser then shared these movies with others and used them to make re-created renders of ‌iOS 26‌ for his movies.

Lipnik’s telephone contained a “vital quantity of further Apple commerce secret data that has not but been publicly disclosed,” and Apple says it doesn’t know the way a lot of that data is within the possession of Prosser and Ramacciotti.

With the intention to shield its commerce secrets and techniques, Apple has filed the lawsuit to request an injunction in opposition to additional disclosure of Apple’s confidential commerce secret data and is searching for damages over the misappropriation of them.

Lipnik’s employment with Apple has already been terminated over his failure to observe the corporate’s insurance policies to guard growth and unreleased units and software program. Lipnik additionally didn’t disclose the breach to Apple as soon as he discovered of it by way of others who acknowledged his condo within the recorded ‌FaceTime‌ name, with Apple studying of the small print from an nameless e mail.

Replace 8:55 pm: In replies to our tweet about this story, Prosser takes challenge with Apple’s presentation of the occasions, claiming he was “unaware of the state of affairs enjoying out” and saying he’s “wanting ahead to with the ability to communicate to Apple about it.”