Tim Cook tells employees Apple is tracking leaks

Apple doesn’t like its secrets going out of place, so it goes without saying that the company really don’t like leaks. This week, CEO Tim Cook had a message for leakers: You don’t belong here, and we’ll find you.

According to the edge, the Apple CEO was angered because two announcements he made during a bare-handed meeting last week on the company’s policy on unvaccinated employees—Who will need frequent testing for covid-19 — and the Epic vs. Apple antitrust case disclosed to the media shortly thereafter.

In an email, obtained by The Verge, sent to Apple employees on Tuesday, Cook said he had heard from many employees frustrated by the recent leaks of the meeting with bare hands. He too was frustrated. Besides, Cook pointed out that this follows leaks during its annual product launch in September.

“These opportunities to connect as a team are really important. But they only work if we can be sure the content will stay in Apple, ”Cook wrote. “I want to reassure you that we are doing everything in our power to identify those who have fled. As you know, we do not tolerate the disclosure of confidential information, whether it is the intellectual property of a product or the details of a confidential meeting. We know that the leakers are a small number of people. We also know that people who divulge confidential information have no place here. “

In recent months, Apple has cracked down on sellers of stolen iPhone prototypes, allegedly ripped off by Chinese employees that get them out of factories, on social networks. The company sent a cease and desist letter to a salesman and told them stop buying, selling and advertising devices. He also requested a list of anyone who provided the prototypes to the vendor.

As to why Apple hates leaks so much – besides the obvious answer, money – the company said that leaks can affect accessory manufacturers. These companies could, for example, create accessories that do not match the final version of the product based on information from leaks.

Apple is also getting angry because the leaks mean it can’t surprise people during product launches, which it says is an important part of the company’s DNA.

At the end of the day, Apple has a right to be upset and take action to prevent the leaks. However, I think it is important to take a step back and take the appropriate action for each situation. It’s one thing to disclose a prototype iPhone, but it’s another to disclose the company’s covid-19 testing policy, which likely would have been revealed anyway. or comments made after a trial (although the latter is a little more sensitive).

Nonetheless, I guess Cook takes the ‘scare them so they’ll never run away’ approach.