Former Apple Employee Sued for Leaking iPhone’s Journal App & More،
Earlier this month, Apple sued one of its former employees, Andrew Aude, in California state court, alleging that the former employee violated the company's confidentiality agreement and violated employment law by disclosing confidential and sensitive information to the media and employees of other technology companies. The company is seeking a jury trial and seeking damages in excess of $25,000.
Role of the former employee
Andrew Aude joined Apple fresh out of college as an iOS software engineer in 2016. His role involved optimizing battery performance, which made him privy to information on dozens of Apple's most sensitive projects. 'Apple,' the complaint alleges.
What did Aude divulge?
ALSO READ: Realme GT 6 spotted on certification websites: Key specifications revealed
The lawsuit claims that over five years, the employee used his Apple-issued work iPhone to disclose information about more than a half-dozen Apple products and policies. It includes the then-unannounced Journal app and Vision Pro headset, as well as product development policies, regulatory compliance strategies, workforce and more.
Apple claims that in April 2023, Aude leaked a list of final features for the iPhone's Journal app to a Wall Street Journal reporter via a phone call. The proof was seen later that month when journalist Aaron Tilley published an article titled “Apple plans iPhone journaling app as part of expanding health initiatives.”
Aude was accused of using the encrypted messaging app Signal to send more than 1,400 messages to the same journalist he called “Homeboy.” He sent more than 10,000 text messages to another journalist from the L'Information site and the complaint claims that Aude traveled the continent to meet her.
In October 2020, Aude disclosed the company's product development in the spatial computing space to a non-Apple employee. Over the following months, he continued to share confidential information about unannounced products and materials with third parties.
ALSO READ: Xiaomi unveils SU7 electric car, to compete with Tesla, BYD and others: prices, variants and everything you need to know
Apple's complaint
Apple believes everything Aude did was intentional and Aude would have accepted that it leaked the information to remove products and features it had issues with. Apple says these leaks led to at least five news articles containing confidential and proprietary information.
ALSO READ: How to delete, deactivate or leave the WhatsApp community
Apple became aware of Aude's wrongdoing in late 2023 and fired him for misconduct in December 2023. In a November 2023 interview, Aude claimed that he had not disclosed any information, but during that interview , he then went to the bathroom and removed a significant amount. evidence from the work iPhone (which includes the Signal app used to communicate with Homeboy).
Even though he accepted part of his fault in December 2023, it was not enough. Apple tried to settle the matter amicably, but Aude did not cooperate. He also reportedly refused to give up the restricted shares of Apple he received as part of his compensation.
The main reason behind the lawsuit is that Apple believes that Aude poses a constant threat to the company due to its long and long history of leaking information to 3rd parties without authorization, his relationships with people belonging to other companies and journalists, as well as his attempts to cover up misconduct.
Apple is now seeking compensatory and punitive damages, the amount of which will be determined at trial. The company is also seeking other legal remedies.
You can follow Smartprix on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the latest news, reviews and technical guides.
