After a number of significant product leaks in recent years, Apple is now explicitly warning leakers to stop releasing confidential information.
The highly reliable Apple leaker known as "Kang" and a number of other leakers have reportedly received warning letters from lawyers representing Apple. According to posts on Kang's Weibo account, the letter cautioned leakers that they must not disclose information about unreleased Apple projects because it may give Apple's competitors valuable information and "mislead customers, because what is disclosed may not be accurate."
Apple apparently grabbed screenshots of Kang's Weibo as evidence, but he explained that since "I have never published undisclosed product pictures" or sold his information, Apple must take exception to "riddles and dreams" about its undisclosed projects. Apple leaks vaguely characterized as "dreams" have been popularized in recent years by leakers such as "L0vetodream," providing some insiders with a fun mechanism to hint at Apple's future plans without giving too much away.
Even "dreaming will violate their confidentiality mechanism," according to Kang, who said that under Apple's logic "if I have a dream, Apple's competitors will obtain effective information." "Without sending pictures or leaking pictures, I am still used as a target," he said.
Kang commented that "I won't post riddles and dreams in the future," suggested that he will be deleting some previous posts on social media, and expressed the need to "tone back" posting about Apple since "talking will be audited."
Kang has been among the most reliable Apple leakers, with successive detailed leaks about Apple's future product and software plans that turned out to be correct. Kang leaked the full details of the iPhone 12 lineup and the HomePod mini before they launched. According to AppleTrack, Kang also correctly leaked a plethora of information about the 2020 iPhone SE, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6, iPad 8, and iPad Air 4 prior to launch. In addition, Kang leaked extensive details about Apple's software updates for WWDC in 2020.
Apple appears to have sent similar letters to other leakers and product renderers, such as "CConceptCreator," who made leaker Jon Prosser's accurate renders of AirPods Max before they were released. He said he was hit with a stern warning from Apple. Leaker and concept artist Ben Geskin also recently said that he received a similar letter.
Email from Apple lawyers with court and fines threats. Negotiations, calls, meeting, my denial of guilt with evidence - they don't care. It took a month. After all, the signing of the agreement, deleting posts that Apple doesn’t like, and the end of my Apple activity. — Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) June 25, 2021
Moreover, earlier this year Apple filed a lawsuit against Simon Lancaster, a former employee who allegedly used his position within the company to steal "sensitive trade secret information" from Apple that was then leaked to a journalist and published in rumor articles.
Given the large number of recent product leaks from the likes of Kang, it seems that Apple is attempting to maintain its infamous level of secrecy by cracking down on leakers and accurate product renders.
