Apple Sues Former Engineer for Allegedly Stealing Vision Pro Secrets Before Joining Snap
According to legal documents submitted in California on June 24, 2025, Liu, who worked at Apple from 2017 until his resignation in 2024, is accused of downloading thousands of confidential files in his final days with the company. Apple claims the data transfer occurred while Liu still had access to his company-issued laptop and credentials.
Liu served as a system product design engineer on the Vision Pro, a highly anticipated mixed-reality headset positioned as Apple's most ambitious entry into the spatial computing space. The tech giant alleges that the documents Liu took included proprietary hardware designs, technology architecture, internal project codenames, and even sensitive supply chain details.
What raises further concern for Apple is Liu's undisclosed move to Snap—a direct competitor in the augmented reality market, known for its Spectacles smart eyewear. Because Liu did not reveal his new employer during his resignation process, he was granted a standard two-week transition period, during which Apple alleges he misused his active credentials to access and extract classified materials.
In the legal filing, Apple's attorneys stated, 'Worse still, the review of Liu's Apple-issued work laptop also shows that while maintaining access to Apple's Proprietary Information under false pretences, he used his Apple credentials to exfiltrate thousands of documents... from Apple's secure file storage systems.'
While the lawsuit is directed solely at Liu, Apple's legal team highlights the suspicious overlap between the content of the documents allegedly taken and Snap's work in AR technologies. Though Snap is not named as a defendant, the implication is clear: Apple sees Liu's new position as a potential risk to its competitive edge.
This legal action is part of Apple's broader push to protect its intellectual property. In previous cases, Apple pursued former employees suspected of leaking sensitive information, including a 2022 settlement with ex-employee Simon Lancaster and a 2024 lawsuit against Andrew Aude, which was later dropped after he apologized.
As the case develops, all eyes are on how the court will interpret Liu's actions and whether Apple's claims of corporate espionage will hold up under scrutiny.
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