Apple is not staying quiet anymore. The tech giant has taken legal action against YouTuber Jon Prosser, accusing him of leaking iOS 26 months before its launch. This isn’t just about rumors — Apple says real trade secrets were stolen.
How Did the iOS 26 Leaks Start?
According to Apple’s complaint, the story begins with Michael Ramacciotti, who is also named in the lawsuit. He allegedly broke into an Apple developer’s iPhone. The iPhone belonged to Ethan Lipnik, a company employee working on early iOS builds.
Ramacciotti reportedly used location tracking to find when Lipnik wasn’t at home. He then accessed the phone, which had unreleased versions of iOS 26, earlier called iOS 19.
Where Does Jon Prosser Come In?
Apple says Ramacciotti made a video call to Jon Prosser. During this call, he showed the phone’s features live. Prosser allegedly recorded the screen and saved the video.
Later, some of that footage was uploaded to his YouTube channel. Since his videos earn money through ads, Apple believes he gained financially from confidential content.
What’s more shocking? Some people recognized Lipnik’s apartment in the video. This added more proof to Apple’s claims.
Apple’s Demands in Court
Apple wants the court to take this seriously. The company is asking for:
- A jury trial
- Compensatory and punitive damages
- Return or destruction of all confidential material
- A full ban on Prosser and Ramacciotti from using or sharing any Apple trade secrets
They also want to know if Prosser still has any more secret content that hasn’t been made public yet.
Lipnik, the Apple employee, was fired. But Apple says he didn’t know how his phone got hacked until after the video was shared.
Prosser’s Response
Jon Prosser fired back quickly on X (formerly Twitter). He denied all claims. “I did not plan to hack anyone’s phone,” he wrote. “I had no passwords. I didn’t know how the info was collected.”
He also said he has proof to back his side of the story and is ready to face Apple.
The iOS 26 leaks may have seemed like exciting sneak peeks to viewers. But behind the scenes, a major legal war is brewing. One side says it’s about freedom to report. The other says it’s straight-up theft.
