Apple sues Jon Prosser for allegedly breaking into a developmental iPhone to steal trade secrets

On that call, Ramacciotti showed Prosser iOS 26 running on Lipnik’s developmental iPhone. Using tech to capture the FaceTime call, Prosser now had a video that he shared with others and used it to make recreated renders of iOS 26 for his video.

Apple also claims that Lipnik’s iPhone contains a “significant amount of additional Apple trade secret information that has not yet been publicly disclosed.” How much of that secret information is in Prosser and Ramacciotti’s possession is something that Apple does not know.

Apple v. Ramacciotti and Prosser by MacRumors

 

Interestingly, Apple’s court papers say that the company first learned about Prosser and Ramacciotti’s plan through an anonymous email tip it received on April 4th, 2025. Besides telling Apple the story that allegedly reveals how Prosser obtained the iOS 26 material he leaked, the email also revealed that Prosser was sharing some of the leaks obtained from Lipnik’s iPhone with other unnamed iPhone leakers.

Prosser posted a Tweet on Thursday night stating that he disagreed with how Apple presented the events, adding that he certainly did not plot to obtain anyone’s iPhone.

This anonymously created and sent email to Apple got FPT’s Jon Prosser in hot water. | Image credit-Scribd

Apple filed its case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint charges Presser and Ramacciotti of Misappropriation of Trade Secrets Under The Defend Trade Secrets Act and Violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Apple seeks an injunction to prevent further disclosure of its confidential trade secrets. Lipnik has been fired for not following Apple’s policies to protect development and unreleased devices and software.