Apple has filed a lawsuit against Jon Prosser, who earlier this year published a number of YouTube leaks revealing iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design overahul.
Prosser was the first blogger to claim that iOS 26, then called iOS 19, would borrow many of the user interface designs from the Vision Pro software, including simpler tab navigation with pill-shaped buttons and reflections around the borders of user interface elements.
Based on this internal work-in-progress version of iOS 26 he saw, Prosser later published video mockups that recreated the minimalist look of iOS 26’s Camera app. He also published a video mockup of the Messages app featuring round navigation buttons at the top and rounded corners around the keyboard.
Apple sues Jon Prosser over iOS 26 leaks
The lawsuit accuses Prosser of misappropriating trade secrets and violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, saying he had access to work-in-progress software. The most interesting bit is how he gained access to this code in the first place.
Apparently, Prosser’s friend Michael Ramacciotti, who is also a defendant in the lawsuit, had learned that an Apple employee called Ethan Lipnik was testing an internal build of iSO 26 on his phone. Prosser and Ramacciotti obtained Lipnik’s passcode and broke into his development iPhone while Lipnik was away.
Ramcciotti then called Prosser on FaceTime using Lipnik’s development iPhone to share the screen and showcase Apple’s new software. Prosser recorded the call so he could later instruct his colleagues to create video mockups of a glassy design overhaul in the Camera and Messages apps.
From the lawsuit, via MacRumors:
According to Mr. Ramacciotti’s message, while staying at Mr. Lipnik’s home, Mr. Ramacciotti used location tracking to determine when Mr. Lipnik would be gone for an extended period, acquired his passcode, and broke into his Development iPhone, which Mr. Lipnik had failed to properly secure according to Apple’s policies. As he detailed in the audio message, Mr. Ramacciotti made a video call to Mr. Prosser and “showed iOS” on the Development iPhone. He demonstrated several features and applications, disclosing details of the unreleased iOS 19 operating system.
The lawsuit accuses Prosser of coming up with the whole thing, dangling the promise of a possible financial compensation for Ramacciotti if he broke into Lipnik’s phone.
According to Mr. Ramacciotti, Mr. Prosser proposed the scheme and promised to ”find out a way for [Mr. Ramacciotti] to get payment” if Mr. Ramacciotti would provide access to Mr. Lipnik’s Development iPhone so Mr. Prosser could steal and profit from Apple’s confidential information.
And this:
Mr. Ramacciotti acknowledged that Mr. Prosser recorded the video call with screen capture tools. Mr. Prosser took videos of the trade secrets on the Development iPhone, kept them on his own device, and disseminated those recordings to others. He shared the recordings with at least one person who reported back to Mr. Lipnik that he recognized Mr. Lipnik’s apartment in the recording. Ultimately, Mr. Prosser profited off Apple’s trade secrets by, at least, sharing them in multiple videos on his business’s YouTube channel, from which he generates ad revenue.
Apple subsequently fired Lipnik over failing to secure his development device and protect Apple’s secrets. Lipnik himself was unaware of what was happening until he learned about it “through others, who claimed to have seen Mr. Lipnik’s apartment in a video recording from Mr. Prosser.”
The company says Lipnik’s development iPhone contained other unannounced design elements that remain confidential, but Prosser hasn’t leaked them yet. Apple is seeking a jury trial to decide on injunctive and punitive damages.
Prosser disputed Apple’s version of events on social media. “For the record: This is not how the situation played out on my end,“ he said. “I did not ‘plot’ to access anyone’s phone,” he continued. “I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained.”
Well, this is at least a validation that Prosser has solid sources. Prosser is “looking forward to being able to speak to Apple about it,” he wrote on his X account.