Apple has filed a lawsuit against Jon Prosser, a prominent figure in the tech leak community, along with Michael Ramacciotti. The lawsuit alleges that the two men broke into a developmental iPhone owned by Apple employee Ethan Lipnik and stole sensitive trade secrets.
This case has emerged following a series of leaky revelations related to an iOS update, previously referred to as iOS 19 and now known as iOS 26. Earlier this year, Prosser disclosed various features and designs of the new iOS, including redesigns of the Camera and Messages apps.
While some of his claims did not match the final product, the accuracy of many details prompted Apple to take legal action. According to Apple’s court filing, the two men devised a plan to access Lipnik’s iPhone, allegedly obtaining its passcode and using location tracking to determine when Lipnik would be away from the device for an extended time.
Ramacciotti, who was reportedly compensated by Prosser for his role, accessed the iPhone and showed Prosser what was running on it during a FaceTime call. Prosser then allegedly captured this video and used it to create leaked content about iOS 26.
Apple contends that Lipnik’s iPhone contained a significant amount of undisclosed trade secrets, the extent of which they are currently investigating. Interestingly, Apple claims they first learned about the alleged breach through an anonymous tip provided via email, which detailed how the leaks were obtained and mentioned that Prosser was sharing the information with other leakers.
In response to these accusations, Prosser has stated on Twitter that he disagrees with Apple’s portrayal of events and denies planning any theft. Apple’s complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charging both men with Misappropriation of Trade Secrets and Violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
The company seeks an injunction to prevent any further disclosure of its confidential information. Following this, Lipnik has lost his job for failing to adhere to Apple’s security policies.