Apple's famously strict confidentiality has a blind spot: iCloud.
For years, the company has encouraged employees to use their personal Apple IDs for work-related documents. When someone leaves, Apple shuts down most internal access. But the files scattered across personal iCloud accounts, iMessage threads, and unmanaged folders can remain — sometimes still pushing update notifications to people who no longer work at Apple.
Several former employees say they never intentionally took anything, yet they could still see internal Apple documents years after leaving.
The problem came to light after Apple sued OpenAI. Apple now alleges that two former employees deliberately downloaded or transferred unreleased product information, manufacturing processes, and supply chain data. OpenAI denies the claims. Apple stresses that the lawsuit is about intentional theft, not the accidental retention former employees describe.