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Apple Sues Former Employee for Leaking iPhone's Journal App and More
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Technically, Apple does boast that even they cannot hack into others phones. So maybe he wanted to check how true that is …
I am amazed at this guys actions, his intentions, how he did it and to not even cooperate with Apple after being caught red handed in every way possible. Amazing! Apple was very nice to this guy, considering what he did, until he forced their hand.
He won't be trusted with spit after this though. No one wants that kind of a person on their team or having access to anything important. He might not like it and try to harm your company. Just baffling.
He won't be trusted with spit after this though. No one wants that kind of a person on their team or having access to anything important. He might not like it and try to harm your company. Just baffling.
This is a valid observation.
Also reminds me of why my presence in MR has been dwindling. Tired of the rumors to be frank, as well as tired of the toxic content moderation culture. I’m seeing the brighter horizon of just logging out for good and enjoying whatever Apple brings to the table during their events and releases.
No. It should “partition” off a device so a “work” partition has work things - text messages, apps, emails, etc. And MDM should only affect that partition. If I leave an employer, then that partition gets removed along with the data only in that partition. Or if an employer wants to remove data remotely, only that partition is removed and my whole phone isn’t wiped, including my personal data. This is why I opted for the work-provided phone.
If you have leftovers in Signal, such as some messages hadn't expired yet and you've set them to expire after a week or two etc, or you set messages to expire after you recreived a few already. If you set messages to expire after you've received some, the old ones don't go away, its just the new ones that are set to expire.
It's not like I'm a spy expert, but this guy sucked at covering his tracks.
Yes and my fault for not reading the original article, he saved screenshots of his messages, Dumb 101, again, these people need to go old school, X taped on a street light stanchion, looseleaf paper, burn bag, I'm just trying to help out the next generation of Apple leakers.
After reading his background and a Daring Fireball post, the whiners here predicting this guy won't get another tech job is laughable, would not be surprised to see him become the CEO of some tech startup in the next five years.
Immoral?
It’s unwise, deceptive, and, under the circumstances, unprincipled self-indulgence. But immoral? It’s not stealing a loaf of bread to feed your family, granted, but it’s not…say…knowingly contracting your off-shored manufacturing to companies that treat their employees so poorly that nets are required to prevent on-site suicides either. Not saying that provides a justification or redress, just suggesting that we, possibly, apply some perspective.
That seems needlessly cruel. Stupid as it was, he's still a person. I can't imagine actually wishing somebody becomes impoverished for life over something as silly as tattling on a trillion dollar corporation. Don't worry, the big rich corporation will be fine. It's not like this guy was a serial killer or stealing money from old ladies at the ATM.
I hope he finds a nice non-tech job and doesn't die in poverty.
Yikes.
So you're saying that would be better than to confiscate the device and potentially have the actual proof of the crime in hand?
What absolutely boring sh*t to bother risking some time in prison over. Good lord.
Apple this month sued its former employee Andrew Aude in California state court, alleging that he breached the company's confidentiality agreement and violated labor laws by leaking sensitive information to the media and employees at other tech companies. Apple has demanded a jury trial, and it is seeking damages in excess of $25,000.
Aude joined Apple as an iOS software engineer in 2016, shortly after graduating college. He worked on optimizing battery performance, making him "privy to information regarding dozens of Apple's most sensitive projects," according to the complaint.
Leaks
The lawsuit alleges that over a five-year period, Aude used his Apple-issued work iPhone to leak information about more than a half-dozen Apple products and policies, including its then-unannounced Journal app and Vision Pro headset, product development policies, strategies for regulatory compliance, employee headcounts, and more.
In April 2023, for example, Apple alleges that Aude leaked a list of finalized features for the iPhone's Journal app to a journalist at The Wall Street Journal on a phone call. That same month, The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley published a report titled "Apple Plans iPhone Journaling App in Expansion of Health Initiatives."
Using the encrypted messaging app Signal, Aude is said to have sent "over 1,400" messages to the same journalist, who Aude referred to as "Homeboy." He is also accused of sending "over 10,000 text messages" to another journalist at the website The Information, and he allegedly traveled "across the continent" to meet with her.
A screenshot included in the lawsuit
Other leaks relate to the Vision Pro and other hardware:Apple believes that Aude's actions were "extensive and purposeful," with Aude allegedly admitting that he leaked information so he could "kill" products and features with which he took issue. The company alleges that his wrongful disclosures resulted in at least five news articles discussing the company's confidential and proprietary information. Apple says these public revelations impeded its ability to "surprise and delight" with its latest products.
Apple Finds Out
Apple said it learned of Aude's wrongful disclosures in late 2023, and the company fired him for his alleged misconduct in December of that year.
In a November 2023 interview, Apple alleges that Aude denied leaking confidential information to anyone. However, during that interview, Apple alleges that Aude went to the bathroom and deleted "significant amounts of evidence" from his work iPhone, including the Signal app that he used to communicate with "Homeboy."
During a follow-up interview in December 2023, Apple alleges that Aude admitted to some of his wrongful disclosures, but claims he only provided "narrow admissions limited to the information he had not been able to destroy."
Apple attempted to resolve this matter out of court, but it said Aude was uncooperative:Aude has also allegedly refused to divest of the restricted Apple stock units that he received as part of his compensation package.
Apple said that Aude poses an "ongoing threat" to the company due to his "long and extensive history of disclosing [confidential information] to third parties intentionally and without authorization, his continued relationships with individuals at other technology companies, and journalists, and his attempts to conceal his misconduct."
Apple is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, and it is also seeking other legal remedies.
The full complaint can be viewed in this PDF file.
Article Link: Apple Sues Former Employee for Leaking iPhone's Journal App and More
I am stunned at your rationalization. What he leaked / stole is irrelevant to the commission of the crime. He has earned and deserves the full range of legal consequences applicable to his actions.
Apple does not have to justify the terms of an employment agreement that does not involve illegalities or illegal discrimination. That's the agreement and he voluntarily signed it. Case closed and it seems the Judge agrees.
It is not $25,000.
It is "damages in excess of $25,000."
And it is not just the Journal app.
It is "more than a half-dozen Apple products and policies, including its then-unannounced Journal app and Vision Pro headset, product development policies, strategies for regulatory compliance, employee headcounts, and more.
It is "damages in excess of $25,000."
And it is not just the Journal app.
It is "more than a half-dozen Apple products and policies, including its then-unannounced Journal app and Vision Pro headset, product development policies, strategies for regulatory compliance, employee headcounts, and more.
To use your analogy of visiting a porn site, it doesn’t mean I am cool with pornography that was filmed against a person’a will. I assume everything is done openly and above board and in line with industry regulations.
I dunno - maybe we are part of the problem? By showing there is a huge appetite for such rumours, are we incentivising people to knowingly break the law or otherwise behave in an unprofessional manner just for some internet clout? I really don’t know, but at the end of the day, we each reap what we sow.
More like adhesive pads with pull tabs that give you the illusion it can be removed easily. 🤣