Apple sues former employee for allegedly stealing 'thousands of documents' before joining Snap

Apple has initiated a lawsuit against Di Liu, a former senior design engineer for the Vision Pro headset, claiming he unlawfully downloaded thousands of confidential documents prior to his employment with Snap. The legal action, filed in California on June 24, underscores Apple's ongoing battle to protect its proprietary information from potential leaks. According to the complaint, Liu is accused of using his final days at Apple to extract sensitive data, which he allegedly stored on personal cloud accounts. This incident highlights Apple's stringent approach toward safeguarding its internal information, a practice that has led to several lawsuits against ex-employees in the past. The lawsuit reveals that Liu did not inform Apple of his impending move to Snap, a direct competitor that develops smart glasses. Consequently, Apple allowed him a standard two-week transition period, during which he accessed and downloaded confidential files. Apple’s legal team pointed out that Liu exploited this access under false pretenses, taking thousands of documents that included codename references to Apple’s projects and technical descriptions. Apple asserts that Liu’s actions violated confidentiality agreements established during his tenure from 2017 to 2024, particularly as he worked on the Vision Pro headset. The company has raised concerns about the potential use of these trade secrets in Liu's role at Snap. While Apple has not initiated legal action against Snap, the lawsuit implies a clear overlap between the proprietary information Liu retained and Snap's augmented reality products. In addition to seeking damages, Apple is requesting that Liu's devices undergo forensic examination to ensure that all confidential information is deleted. This case adds to a growing list of legal actions Apple has pursued against former employees for alleged data theft, including a settlement with Simon Lancaster in 2022 and a dismissed lawsuit against Andrew Aude in 2024, who apologized for his actions. Furthermore, at least three former Apple employees have faced criminal charges for allegedly sharing trade secrets with organizations linked to China, with one receiving a prison sentence. Apple’s vigilant defense of its intellectual property continues as it navigates the challenges of maintaining confidentiality in a competitive tech landscape.