Jon Prosser Blames Ex-Friend in Apple Trade Secret Lawsuit Response

YouTuber Jon Prosser has formally responded to Apple's lawsuit accusing him and a former associate of stealing trade secrets from unreleased iOS software. In his court filing, Prosser denies orchestrating a scheme to obtain confidential information but admits to recording a FaceTime call that revealed upcoming iOS features. He also acknowledges sharing revenue from his YouTube videos on these leaks with the individual who provided the information.

Apple filed the suit in July 2025, alleging that Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti engaged in a "coordinated scheme" to illicitly access an Apple developer iPhone, steal trade secrets, and profit from the theft. The tech giant claimed Ramacciotti showed Prosser details of iOS from an Apple employee's device via a FaceTime call. Prosser's YouTube channel, Front Page Tech, subsequently published videos in late 2025 detailing features that resembled Apple's eventual iOS 19, later integrated into the operating system.

Prosser's defense argues that Ramacciotti bears full responsibility for any alleged disclosure of trade secrets. The filing states Prosser was unaware that Ramacciotti "needed money" or that the Apple employee, Ethan Lipnik, worked for the company. Prosser further claims he did not "jointly plan" to access the information on Lipnik's iPhone and was ignorant of how Ramacciotti obtained it.

Shifting Blame for the Leak

While denying complicity in a pre-arranged plan, Prosser admits to participating in a FaceTime call where Ramacciotti demonstrated features of the unreleased iOS 19. He also confirms recording parts of this call and sharing screen captures, as well as a portion of the advertising revenue from his YouTube videos with Ramacciotti. Prosser states this revenue sharing was to maintain exclusive communication with Ramacciotti, and he claims to have severed contact once he learned how the information was acquired.

Apple's suit, however, paints a different picture, referencing a voice message from Ramacciotti detailing alleged use of location tracking to know when Lipnik was absent, obtaining Lipnik's passcode, and breaking into the phone. Prosser explicitly denies any knowledge of location tracking, the phone's ownership, or how Ramacciotti gained access. He maintains that while he reported on unreleased software, he did so as any news organization would report on exclusive information, and he denies possessing any further confidential data not already disclosed to Apple.

Prosser has also raised affirmative defenses, asserting that Ramacciotti's actions were not induced by him and that Ramacciotti is solely responsible for any harm caused to Apple and should indemnify Prosser for all damages. Prosser is requesting a jury trial for the case. Apple has not publicly commented on the ongoing litigation, citing a policy against discussing active legal matters. Ramacciotti has not yet filed a formal response to the lawsuit as of July 2026.