Apple vs. YouTuber: The High-Stakes Legal Battle Over Trade Secrets

Imagine a world where your favorite tech YouTuber is caught in a whirlwind of legal drama with the very company they idolize. Sounds like a plot twist worthy of a blockbuster film, right? Well, buckle up, because Apple is taking YouTuber Jon Prosser to court over serious allegations of leaking trade secrets about iOS 26, and the story is as intriguing as it is complicated.
Apple, the iconic tech giant, claims that Prosser, with the help of Michael Ramacciotti—a product analyst and video editor at NTFTW—executed a 'coordinated scheme' to infiltrate an Apple development iPhone. The purpose? To snag trade secrets and profit from them by showcasing them on Prosser's YouTube channel, according to reports from MacRumors.
According to Apple's lawsuit, filed in a California district court, Ramacciotti, allegedly in financial need, struck a deal with Prosser—offering 'compensation in the form of money or a future job opportunity' to assist in obtaining confidential Apple information. This clandestine operation took a twist when Ramacciotti, during a visit to his friend Ethan Lipnik's apartment, managed to crack the passcode on an unreleased Apple software design phone. Seizing the moment, he FaceTimed Prosser, allowing him to peek into Apple's secretive realm.
This jaw-dropping scheme was meticulously arranged, with Ramacciotti reportedly using location tracking to ensure Lipnik didn't return unexpectedly while he shared the confidential details with Prosser. Forensic evidence, Apple asserts, shows that Prosser was in cahoots with Ramacciotti, as calls were made before unlocking this treasure trove of tech secrets.
The dominoes started falling when an anonymous email tipped Apple off to the scheme on April 4. Lipnik, although allegedly kept in the dark, was not spared; he was fired for leaving the development iPhone unattended—a clear breach of his work agreement.
Prosser, who launched his leaks in January with near-accurate renders of the new Camera app, later spilled the beans on a host of iOS 19 features. These included the liquid glass design and updated animations, which surprisingly made it to the final iOS build unveiled at WWDC 2025.
With competitors gaining an advantage from these premature revelations, Apple is not pulling any punches. The lawsuit aims to prevent further disclosures and demands damages from the defendants. Meanwhile, Prosser stands firm on his innocence, denying any direct involvement in accessing the information. 'This is not how the situation played out on my end,' he declares, ready to present his side of the story to Apple.