Apple will not tolerate employees who leak information about their products anymore.
Bloomberg reports an Apple memo (that was leaked, funnily enough) warns employees that the tech company will seek criminal charges against anyone who leaks information. "These people not only lose their jobs, they can face extreme difficulty finding employment elsewhere,” it read.
"The potential criminal consequences of leaking are real," said Apple's Global Security's Tom Moyer. "And that can become part of your personal and professional identity forever.”
The memo went on to explain how to avoid being finessed into giving away information to the press who "pry for information."
"While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played," it read. "The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and making them public. A scoop about an unreleased Apple product can generate massive traffic for a publication and financially benefit the blogger or reporter who broke it. But the Apple employee who leaks has everything to lose."
The leaked memo also stated that leaking "undermines" the people who've worked on the products for months and "can negatively impact sales" since it gives insider information to rival companies.
"We want the chance to tell our customers why the product is great, and not have that done poorly by someone else," said Greg Joswiak of Product Marketing.
The aggressive move comes after the iPhone Xunderperformed in sales, which may lead to the company discontinuing the phone altogether.
As for the next iPhone, a leaker told Bloomberg about the touchless gesture controls feature and curved screens that may be on the way.
