Apple Sues Former Employee for Leaking Confidential Information

Apple has taken legal action against a former employee for leaking confidential information, which included details about products he disapproved of, from his company-issued iPhone.

Apple's Allegations

In a complaint filed on March 18 in a California court, Apple accused former software engineer Andrew Aude of sharing information regarding projects such as Apple's Journal app and the Vision Pro with media outlets and employees at other tech firms over a five-year period. Aude, who joined Apple in 2016, is being sued by the tech giant for violating its confidentiality agreement and breaching labor laws. The lawsuit was initially reported by MacRumors.

Discovery of Leaks

Apple stated that it first detected the leaks in late 2023. When confronted, Aude initially denied any involvement but later excused himself for a restroom break and proceeded to "permanently delete substantial amounts of evidence from his device." The tech company claimed that Aude removed the Signal app, used for communications, from his work-issued phone. However, Apple managed to recover numerous screenshots of his communications stored on his work iPhone.

Evidence from Apple's Lawsuit

According to Apple, an examination of Aude's Apple-issued work iPhone revealed over 1,400 encrypted communications with a Wall Street Journal journalist across a four-month duration. Additionally, Aude sent more than 10,000 text messages to a journalist at The Information and even met with her in person. Screenshots provided in the lawsuit illustrated Aude's excitement and anticipation of the repercussions following the publication of leaked information.

Impact of Information Leaks

Aude's unauthorized disclosures resulted in the release of various news reports and hindered Apple's ability to surprise and impress with its new offerings. Despite Aude's termination, Apple expressed concerns about his continued threat to the company due to his knowledge of confidential information and his history of unauthorized disclosures.

Legal Action and Demands

Apple is seeking a jury trial, damages, and an injunction to prevent Aude from disclosing the company's confidential information without consent. The tech giant also aims to have Aude forfeit his discretionary bonuses and restricted stock units. Apple has not yet responded to requests for comments made outside of standard business hours.

This article was originally published on Business Insider.

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By: htan@insider.com (Huileng Tan)
Title: Apple Sues Former Employee for Leaking Confidential Information
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/apple-sues-former-employee-andrew-aude-product-leak-work-iphone-2024-3
Published Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:34:21 +0000