Apple has taken a striking legal step against one of its most prominent leakers, suing YouTuber Jon Prosser in Northern California's U.S. District Court for allegedly orchestrating a plan to obtain and leak trade secrets from a confidential iPhone prototype running iOS 26.
With that, the iPhone maker decided to make a move to question how Prosser gets his insider information.
Inside the Alleged iOS Leak Scheme
As set out in the complaint, Prosser, famous for his "Front Page Tech" YouTube channel, purportedly teamed up with Michael Ramacciotti, who accessed a secret iPhone belonging to Apple software engineer Ethan Lipnik.
The phone, filled with Apple's unreleased iOS 26 software, was reportedly left unattended in Lipnik's apartment. While Lipnik was away, Ramacciotti allegedly shared the contents of the device with Prosser over a video conference.
Apple's complaint alleges that Prosser orchestrated the leak and offered to pay Ramacciotti for it. The filing also claims that Prosser utilized the pilfered information to create and release what he called "the biggest iOS leak ever." Those videos aired long before the Cupertino giant officially unveiled iOS 26, possibly betraying Apple's highly secretive development process.
Prosser rebuts Apple's account, however. In tweets on social site X, he denied instructing anyone to pull the information from the device or providing cash for inside knowledge. Although admitting he shared the details publicly, Prosser asserts he was unaware of how it was accessed, WIRED finds.
For the record: This is not how the situation played out on my end. Luckily have receipts for that.
— jon prosser (@jon_prosser) July 18, 2025
I did not "plot" to access anyone's phone. I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained.
Looking forward to speaking with Apple on this. https://t.co/NSUlJPMbld
Apple Could Take Advantage of American Laws
The leak has already caused fallout within Apple. The company fired Ethan Lipnik for breaching internal security procedures, including protecting development devices. Lipnik remains silent on the matter publicly.
Legal analysts observe that this case is distinct from Apple's usual leak probes, which have sources in Asia in its supply chain. Since this was an occurrence within the U.S., Apple can use American laws such as the Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act more readily.
Moor Insights & Strategy lead analyst Anshel Sag called the case significant, noting that Apple has a stronger legal footing than usual since it involves a U.S.-based YouTuber.
The Future of Tech Leaks Is in Danger
The latest lawsuit could awaken major tech companies to the online creators who profit from leaks, content that may drive digital hype but often disrupts product launches and compromises proprietary innovation.
Prosser, who says he heard about the suit through a MacRumors article, regrets the outcome for Lipnik.
"I feel awful that Ethan was terminated over this," Prosser says. "I wish he had shared with Apple what had occurred, and I wish that Apple would have connected with me for more answers—I would have gladly chatted with them."
Knowing Apple's history in handling lawsuits, this is going to be a long legal battle for Prosser.
Originally published on Tech Times
