Apple sues iPhone leaker for revealing iOS 26 secrets

In something of a bombshell lawsuit, Apple is taking noted leaker Jon Prosser to court for sharing details about iOS 26 well before Apple officially introduced the software update at WWDC this past June. Over the past year, and as we’ve covered here on BGR, Prosser successfully managed to release information about a variety of iOS 26 features, including the Liquid Glass redesign, new icons, and revamped UI controls. 

Apple leaks are seemingly a dime a dozen these days. Still, Apple clearly thought Prosser’s actions over the past few months crossed a line. Indeed, Apple’s complaint doesn’t just allege that Prosser released product details. It alleges that Prosser and his associate engaged in an elaborate plan to improperly gain access to a developmental iPhone.

We’ll get to the complaint in just a second. But first, it’s worth highlighting the broad reasoning behind Apple's legal action. For starters, Apple is a company that famously values secrecy at a level that nearly borders on paranoia. As a result, Apple does everything in its power to prevent any and all details about new products from becoming public. The problem, though, is that Apple’s supply chain is vast and involves a myriad of companies and thousands upon thousands of employees with access to sensitive information. Consequently, preventing details about upcoming hardware and software is something of an impossibility. It’s why Tim Cook’s promise so many years ago about “doubling down on product secrecy” has seemingly gone unfulfilled. 

Lawsuit details

The complaint claims that Prosser was part of a “coordinated scheme to break into an Apple development iPhone.” Specifically, the complaint lays out that Prosser, along with a co-defendant named Michael Ramacciotti, worked together to access an unreleased iPhone that belonged to an Apple employee named Ethan Lipnik.

Ramacciotti, who is friends with Lipnik, waited for a time when Lipnik would be gone for an extended period of time before picking up the device.

The complaint reads in part:

According to Mr. Ramacciotti’s message, while staying at Mr. Lipnik’s home, Mr Ramacciotti used location tracking to determine when Mr. Lipnik would be gone for an extended period, acquired his passcode, and broke into his Development iPhone, which Mr. Lipnik had failed to properly secure according to Apple’s policies. As he detailed in the audio message, Mr. Ramacciotti made a video call to Mr. Prosser and “showed iOS” on the Development iPhone. He demonstrated several features and applications, disclosing details of the unreleased iOS 19 operating system.

During the video call, Prosser took screenshots and screen recordings of the new iOS. He then had renders created of updated features, presumably as part of an effort to cover his tracks and not reveal his source.

It’s worth noting that all of this was done without Lipnik’s knowledge. Still, Lipnik was ultimately fired for not adhering to Apple’s strict privacy policies.

Prosser was allegedly the mastermind behind the plan

The complaint alleges that Prosser concocted the scheme after finding out that Ramacciotti needed money. Note, being the first to report Apple-related rumors is a lucrative business. And Prosser’s YouTube videos likely generate an impressive amount of ad revenue. At the time of this writing, Prosser's YouTube channel boasts more than 558,000 subscribers.

The complaint goes on to state: 

Because Mr. Prosser lacked access to Apple’s networks and systems, he enlisted Mr. Ramacciotti to help him access Apple’s confidential software designs. Mr. Prosser promised Mr. Ramacciotti compensation in the form of money or a future job opportunity for Mr. Ramacciotti in exchange for helping Mr. Prosser to access, obtain, and copy Apple confidential information.
 
Mr. Ramacciotti was friends with Mr. Lipnik, an Apple software engineering employee to whom Apple had issued the Development iPhone to develop and test certain aspects of Apple’s unreleased operating systems. According to Mr. Lipnik, Mr. Ramacciotti often spent time at his home, sometimes staying for the weekend, and observing his patterns and security
 protocols for his devices.

The lawsuit then goes on to state that Prosser told Ramacciotti to bypass the passcode on Lipnik's iPhone:

At Mr. Prosser’s direction, Mr. Ramacciotti obtained Mr. Lipnik’s passcode, unlocked the Development iPhone, and shared details about iOS 19 with Mr. Prosser via FaceTime. According to Mr. Ramacciotti, he accessed confidential information on the Development iPhone while in Mr. Lipnik’s apartment. Once he was sure he was alone in Mr. Lipnik’s home, Mr. Ramacciotti used location tracking to determine when Mr. Lipnik would return so that he would know how much time he had to break into the device and copy Apple’s trade secrets.

When he confirmed Mr. Lipnik was gone, Mr. Ramacciotti made a FaceTime call to Mr. Prosser. According to forensic evidence, Mr. Ramacciotti called Mr. Prosser before he unlocked the Development iPhone, indicating that Mr. Prosser was involved in the decision to improperly access Apple’s trade secrets. Mr. Ramacciotti then entered the stolen passcode, accessed, and disclosed iOS19 to Mr. Prosser. 

Interestingly enough, Lipnik eventually found out about the leak after some friends recognized his apartment from Prosser’s video recording. It was at this point that Ramacciotti confided to Lipnik about the scheme and the compensation involved. Additionally, Lipnik did not immediately let his bosses at Apple know after he discovered the scheme.

Prosser denies Apple's allegations

Apple is suing Prosser for the misappropriation of trade secrets under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA). Apple specifically argues that the defendants violated the DTSA by leaking details regarding the new iOS camera, photos, and messaging apps. 

The lawsuit doesn't specify the amount of incurred damages, but rather relays that it will figure it out at trial. Apple also said it plans to pursue punitive damages based on the defendants’ “willful and malicious misappropriation of trade secrets.” Suffice it to say, Apple will presumably be seeking a lot in damages to send a message to other leakers.

Lastly, Prosser responded to the lawsuit on X late on Thursday, noting that the scheme Apple lays out in its complaint is not how things played out.

"I did not 'plot' to access anyone’s phone," Prosser said. "I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained."

Prosser further adds that he has evidence to substantiate his claims.

All told, it will be fascinating to see how this plays out. Historically speaking, Apple has sued leakers before, but they have traditionally been actual Apple employees. The last time I can recall Apple going after a non-Apple leaker was back in the early 2000's when the company sued the Think Secret blog, a lawsuit which ultimately led to the site's demise as part of a settlement agreement.

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Apple sues iPhone leaker for revealing iOS 26 secrets originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 18 Jul 2025 at 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.