Apple Sues YouTuber Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leak, Citing Trade Secret Theft

Apple has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California, accusing YouTuber Jon Prosser of misappropriating trade secrets, violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and profiting from stolen confidential material related to iOS 26. The lawsuit, made public today, outlines a chain of events that allegedly led to the unlawful disclosure of Apple’s unreleased operating system features, which Prosser showcased in multiple videos earlier this year.

At the center of Apple’s complaint is a development iPhone used internally by the company, allegedly accessed without authorization by Michael Ramacciotti, a friend of Apple employee Ethan Lipnik. According to the lawsuit, Ramacciotti stayed at Lipnik’s home, used location tracking to determine when Lipnik would be away, obtained his passcode, and accessed the development iPhone. Apple claims Ramacciotti then made a FaceTime call to Prosser and showed the unreleased iOS build. Prosser allegedly recorded the call and used it to create content that appeared on his YouTube channel, generating ad revenue in the process.

How the Leak Unfolded

Apple says it was tipped off in April through an anonymous email and later confirmed that the device breach occurred at Lipnik’s residence. According to court documents, Ramacciotti admitted in an audio message that he shared confidential visuals of the iOS 26 interface with Prosser, who had proposed the scheme and offered to help him receive payment. Apple alleges that Prosser stored the screen recordings, distributed them to others, and used them to produce re-created visuals that closely resembled Apple’s eventual design.

The company describes the leak as a serious breach of its internal security policies, which require strict confidentiality around unreleased software and hardware. While Lipnik was terminated for failing to protect the development iPhone and for not reporting the breach once he became aware of it, Apple notes that he was unaware of the extent of the violation until others recognized his apartment in the leaked video.

In its filing, Apple expresses concern that Prosser may still possess unreleased material, noting that the accessed device contained “other unannounced design elements that remain confidential.”

Apple’s Legal Demands and Prosser’s Response

Apple is seeking a jury trial, injunctive relief, damages, and legal fees. The company wants a court order preventing Prosser and Ramacciotti from sharing or profiting from any more confidential data, and it also requests the return or destruction of all trade secret materials in their possession.

In a post on X, Prosser denied Apple’s version of events.

“I did not ‘plot’ to access anyone’s phone. I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained,” he wrote. “Looking forward to speaking with Apple on this.”

Back in January, Prosser released a series of videos showing a redesigned Camera app, an overhauled Messages app, and a new interface he dubbed “Liquid Glass.” While the names and versions he used referred to iOS 19 at the time, Apple eventually revealed the changes as part of iOS 26 at WWDC in June. Despite some inconsistencies, Prosser’s recreations were broadly accurate, which raised questions about how he obtained such detailed previews.

According to MacRumors, Apple’s lawsuit links the leaks directly to the FaceTime call from Ramacciotti and says the videos made from those screen captures ultimately helped shape Prosser’s public-facing renderings.

As of now, Apple has not commented beyond the legal filing, and Prosser says he has records that support his side of the story. Whether the court will find those convincing remains to be seen. What’s clear is that Apple is drawing a hard line on unauthorized disclosures and is ready to litigate when its internal safeguards are breached.