Apple cracks down on leaks that have revealed future of iPhone and more, leaked memo reveals

'Leakers do not simply lose their jobs at Apple'

Andrew Griffin
Monday 16 April 2018 17:28 BST
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The iPhone X, which was revealed in minute detail before Apple got the chance to announce it
The iPhone X, which was revealed in minute detail before Apple got the chance to announce it

Apple is trying to crack down on leaks, according to a newly leaked memo.

In recent years, many of the company's plans have been revealed before it actually has a chance to tell people about them.

All of the details of the recent iPhones, for instance, came out when early software was accidentally placed online. And recently a new report revealed that the company would slow down new features in an attempt to make its software more reliable.

In recent years, almost every new Apple product has been widely revealed ahead of its release date. Such leaks mean that Apple does not get the chance to surprise people at its launch events or to decide how new products are described – a point that the memo makes in strong terms.

Now Apple has said in a leaked memo that it is looking to crack down on those leaks and that it will not tolerate them in the future.

It says, for instance, that people revealing the future of its devices may be arrested – or even more.

"Leakers do not simply lose their jobs at Apple,” the document, which was revealed by Bloomberg, reads. “In some cases, they face jail time and massive fines for network intrusion and theft of trade secrets, both classified as federal crimes.”

It also says that 29 people were found leaking over the last year, and that 12 of them have been arrested. Those numbers are thought to include the person who revealed the details of the meeting about software improvements, and the employee that gave details about new products including the iPhone X and AirPods to tech publication 9to5mac.

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