Like many companies, Apple hates it when its products get leaked ahead of schedule, especially when it’s unauthorized and if it involves stolen plans or prototypes. In fact, recent reports claim that Apple has been cracking down hard on leakers in China, but a new report from Motherboard has revealed how far Apple has gone to stop these leaks.
According to the report, it claims that to find out who’s been leaking their stuff, Apple apparently planted a mole in the leakers community. This leaker would be part of the Twitter and Discord network as other leakers and would advertise things like leaked apps, manuals, stolen devices, and so on.
That was their online persona, but in reality, that person would share personal information with Apple of the people who sold stolen iPhone prototypes from China, Apple employees who leaked info online, and journalists who had relationships with leakers and sellers. So, how do we know all of this to be true? Apparently the person behind it has since come forward.
Known as YRH04E or JVHResearch online and Andrey Shumeyko in real life, he has come forward to tell his tale after he felt that Apple had taken advantage of him and should have compensated him for the information he provided to them.
According to the emails sent between Shumeyko and Apple’s Global Security team, part of the reason why he decided to do this was because he felt bad for the leaks he took part in in the past, and wanted to redeem himself. He had also hoped that he might be financially compensated for his efforts to “jumpstart” his life, but that never happened.
It’s actually a rather fascinating read and if you have the time, you should hed on over to Motherboard’s website to check the rest of it out.