Apple has dragged tech leaker Jon Prosser and accomplice Michael Ramacciotti to court, accusing them of orchestrating a plot to steal its unreleased iOS software.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that the duo conspired to break into an Apple development iPhone and leak trade secrets from what was then known as iOS 19, now iOS 26.
Apple claims Jon Prosser, known for his YouTube channel Front Page Tech, exploited Ramacciotti’s personal ties to Ethan Lipnik, an Apple engineer, to infiltrate a confidential development device.
According to Apple, Prosser offered Ramacciotti money or potential job prospects in exchange for access to the unreleased software. Armed with Lipnik’s passcode and location data, Ramacciotti allegedly waited for the right moment, broke into Lipnik’s development iPhone, and broadcast its confidential contents to Prosser via a video call.
In a piece of evidence, Apple reveals an audio message from Ramacciotti to Lipnik, admitting the breach and attributing the plan to Prosser. The recording, Apple says, “detailed the compensation proposed by Mr. Prosser and their plan to acquire Apple information.”
Lipnik, whose failure to report the incident promptly violated company protocols, has since been dismissed.
Prosser’s use of the stolen data went far beyond simple curiosity. Apple asserts that he recorded the screen-share session, created detailed renders of unreleased iOS features, and posted them across his YouTube channels.
These leaks included early looks at Apple’s revamped camera, messaging apps, and the new Liquid Glass design interface.
Prosser himself was quoted in one of his videos acknowledging the depth of Apple’s internal security measures: “Apple does a lot of clever hiding. Let’s say you’re an Apple engineer: some elements of the OS are forked off into separate teams to prevent a full build from being in your possession, which is also why we never really see iOS leak early.”
While Prosser objects to Apple’s version of events, insisting publicly that “I did not ‘plot’ to access anyone’s phone. I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained,” Apple is not convinced.
The tech giant is now seeking damages and a court order to stop Prosser from sharing any more of its confidential materials.
Apple stresses that the development iPhone accessed contained more, beyond just the features Prosser leaked. The company warns that “other unannounced design elements” are at risk, potentially compromising future products.
Ultimately, Apple’s lawsuit portrays Prosser and Ramacciotti as calculated actors who knowingly targeted its trade secrets, bypassed security protocols, and monetised confidential information.
“Defendants’ misconduct was brazen and egregious,” Apple states in its filing, adding that Prosser “profited off Apple’s trade secrets by, at least, sharing them in multiple videos on his business’s YouTube channel, from which he generates ad revenue.”
