IPhone developer's privacy breached by friend of a YouTuber, as per Apple's lawsuit allegations
In a shocking turn of events, technology giant Apple has filed a lawsuit against popular tech YouTuber Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti, accusing them of conspiring to break into a development iPhone in the possession of an Apple employee and leaking confidential information about iOS 26.
According to Apple's lawsuit, which was filed in the Northern California District Court, the alleged scheme unfolded as follows:
1. Access to the Device: Michael Ramacciotti, a friend of Apple employee Ethan Lipnik, gained access to Lipnik's Apple-issued development iPhone while staying at his house. Ramacciotti obtained Lipnik's passcode and waited for him to leave before accessing the device.
2. Sharing the Information: Ramacciotti made a FaceTime call to Prosser, showing off the unreleased iOS 26 running on the development iPhone. Prosser recorded the video call.
3. Creating Leaks: Prosser used the footage from the call to create "reconstructed" renderings of iOS 26 features, which he published on his YouTube channel. Some of the leaked features included a redesigned Camera app and the "Liquid Glass" interface.
4. Leaking to the Public: Prosser shared these renderings in multiple videos beginning in January 2025, months before the official iOS 26 announcement at WWDC in June.
Apple is seeking damages and wants Prosser and Ramacciotti to destroy any confidential Apple information still in their possession. The company accuses the duo of misappropriating trade secrets and violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Prosser has made a public statement denying Apple's allegations, claiming he was unaware of how the data was obtained. He provided a screenshot of a text conversation as evidence to support his claims of ignorance.
Ramacciotti allegedly used location-tracking software to determine when Lipnik, who worked at Apple as a software engineer on the Photos team, was away from home to access the development iPhone. Apple claims it has its own evidence to support its allegations against Prosser and Ramacciotti.
Lipnik was fired by Apple due to not properly securing his development device, according to the company. However, Lipnik did not respond to questions for this story.
The theft resulted in a trio of iOS 26 videos from Prosser, which have since been removed from his YouTube channel. No response was received from Apple or Prosser for this story. The situation might be headed to court, as both Prosser and Ramacciotti face legal action from Apple.
- In light of the recent lawsuit filed by Apple, it's speculated that the involvement of AI and software could be relevant, given the accusations of unauthorized access to the development iPhone and leaking of confidential information about iOS 26.
- As the case progresses, the role of cybersecurity within technology, particularly in protecting sensitive data and trade secrets, will likely become a crucial focal point in the trial, especially since Apple accuses Prosser and Ramacciotti of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
