In a case that could shake the tech world, Apple has filed a lawsuit against one of its former employees, engineer Di Liu, accusing him of leaking sensitive and confidential information related to its advanced mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, to a company believed to be Snap Inc., the developer of Spectacles smart glasses.
Shocking Details of the Case
* Who is Di Liu?
Di Liu worked at Apple for more than seven years, holding a prominent position as a Senior Product Design Engineer. He was involved in key projects related to mixed reality and artificial intelligence, giving him access to highly sensitive and proprietary information.
* Allegations Against Him:
- Downloading thousands of confidential files during his final days at Apple, including technical documents and unreleased designs.
- Concealing his intent to join a competing company by resigning under the pretense of health-related reasons.
- Retaining unauthorized access to Apple’s systems even after his official departure.
- Using his personal cloud account to store the data and renaming the files to avoid detection.
* Suspected Motive:
Evidence submitted by Apple suggests that Di Liu may have intended to transfer Vision Pro technology and design secrets to a direct competitor in order to help develop similar products—especially at a critical time ahead of the next-generation headset launch.
* Legal Proceedings
Lawsuit filed in: Santa Clara County Court, California.
* Apple’s demands include:
- Permanent deletion of all stolen data.
- Forensic examination of Di Liu’s personal devices.
- Financial compensation for damages incurred by Apple.
Although Snap Inc. has not been officially named in the lawsuit, the company is reportedly conducting an internal investigation to determine whether it benefitted from the leaked information.
Similar Past Incidents
This is not the first such case. In 2023, another former Apple engineer was convicted of stealing trade secrets related to Apple’s self-driving car project, highlighting the persistent challenges major tech firms face in protecting their intellectual property.
How Do Tech Companies Protect Their Data?
The Di Liu case raises a critical question: Are current security systems sufficient to safeguard innovation secrets?
Reports suggest that Apple, like other tech giants, uses sophisticated systems to monitor file access and internal activity, but insider threats remain one of the most difficult to prevent.
Conclusion
This case underscores just how sensitive and valuable innovation data can be in the tech industry. It raises important concerns about data security, employee movement between rivals, and intellectual property protection.
Apple appears determined to vigorously defend its IP, as the tech community awaits the outcome of the legal investigation in the coming weeks.
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