YouTuber Denies Apple Trade Secret Theft in iOS 26 Leak Case

Jon Prosser has formally responded to Apple's lawsuit, denying he stole trade secrets and blaming an acquaintance for the leak.

Nearly a year after Apple filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and his acquaintance Michael Ramacciotti, Prosser has finally responded in court. Apple had accused the duo of breaking into a former employee's development iPhone to access and profit from details about iOS 26, which was then known as iOS 19. The company claimed that Prosser, who runs the Front Page Tech channel, had published leaked videos months before the update was officially unveiled.

In his response, Prosser admitted that he participated in a FaceTime call with Ramacciotti, during which he was shown features and apps running on the development iPhone. However, he denied that any of the information he viewed contained trade secrets. He also claimed he did not know that the device belonged to former Apple software engineer Ethan Lipnik, who has since been fired.

Prosser's attorney argued that Ramacciotti acted independently and that Prosser did not induce him to disclose any secrets. The response states that Ramacciotti is 'completely responsible' for the disclosure of Apple's alleged trade secrets, if any exist. Prosser further denied being part of any conspiracy to harm Apple and asserted that he no longer possesses any confidential Apple information that has not already been disclosed.

The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and Prosser has requested a jury trial. As the legal battle continues, the outcome could have significant implications for how leaked information is handled by content creators and the protection of corporate trade secrets.