Apple has had 12 people arrested for leaks, it says in a leaked memo

Apple has had 12 employees arrested over the course of last year for leaking internal information about future software plans, according to a memo leaked (ironically) today, spotted by Bloomberg.

The company said in a strongly worded memo that it had caught 29 people who leaked information last year, and 12 of them were arrested. Those 29 people included employees, contractors, and supply chain partners. “Leakers do not simply lose their jobs at Apple,” the memo reads, “In some cases, they face jail time and massive fines for network intrusion and theft of trade secrets, both classified as federal crimes.” 

The memo attempts to curb internal leaks by warning employees that reporters and media outlets may try to befriend them, but the cost of a leak means reporters earn more web traffic while the employees could lose their jobs. “While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played,” it stated, adding that once a person loses their job for leaking, finding employment elsewhere could be hard.

Earlier this year, Apple caught an employee who leaked details of an internal meeting where Apple’s senior vice president of engineering Craig Federighi informed employees that certain software features in iOS would be delayed. Last year, another employee was fired for leaking details about the iPhone X, iPad Pro, and AirPods to 9to5Mac.