Apple sues YouTuber Jon Prosser over alleged iOS 26 leaks
What's the story
Apple has filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and his associate Michael Ramacciotti for allegedly stealing trade secrets and violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (a US federal law enacted in 1986). The legal action, filed in the Northern District of California on July 17, comes after Prosser posted several videos earlier this year, showcasing what he claimed were re-created renderings of the then-unnamed iOS 19. Apple later unveiled the software as iOS 26 at WWDC in June.
Video content
Prosser's videos showed several upcoming features
In his first video in January, Prosser showcased a revamped Camera app with an easier button layout for switching between photo and video modes. He later featured the Messages app on his Genius Bar podcast in March, showing round navigation buttons at the top and rounded keyboard corners. An April video gave a more comprehensive look at the Liquid Glass redesign that eventually debuted in iOS 26.
Legal action
What prompted Apple to file the lawsuit?
Despite some differences, much of what Prosser showed in his videos was close to Apple's final product. This prompted Apple to file a lawsuit against Prosser and Ramacciotti for misappropriation of trade secrets. The complaint details how the leaks originated from a development iPhone owned by Ethan Lipnik, an Apple employee and friend of Ramacciotti.
Accusations
How Ramacciotti accessed Lipnik's device
Apple alleges that Prosser and Ramacciotti conspired to break into Lipnik's phone, stealing his passcode and using location-tracking to find when he would be away for a long time. The company claims Ramacciotti accessed Lipnik's development iPhone and made a FaceTime call to Prosser, showing off iOS 26 running on the device. Prosser allegedly recorded this call with screen capture tools and shared those videos with others.
Legal demands
Apple seeks damages and injunction against further disclosure
Apple's lawsuit seeks an injunction against further disclosure of its confidential trade secret information and damages for their misappropriation. The company says Lipnik's phone had a "significant amount of additional Apple trade secret information that has not yet been publicly disclosed." Apple also claims it doesn't know how much of that information is in the possession of Prosser and Ramacciotti.
Employment termination
Lipnik's employment terminated
Lipnik's employment with Apple has been terminated for failing to follow company policies to protect development and unreleased devices and software. He also didn't report the breach to Apple after learning about it from others who recognized his apartment in the recorded FaceTime call. The company learned of these details through an anonymous email.
Scenario
Prosser disputes Apple's claims
Prosser is challenging Apple's version of events, briefly sharing his side of how he came across the iOS 26 interface. He claimed he didn't "plot" to access anyone's phone, didn't have any passwords, and was unaware of how the information was obtained. He added that he's "looking forward to speaking with Apple on this." More details are likely to emerge in the coming days.