05.16.2023
Former Apple employee Weibao Wang was today officially charged with theft of trade secrets for stealing critical Apple Car information and relaying it to China, reports CNBC. In an indictment
Wang was on the Annotation Team during his time at Apple, working on algorithms to accelerate the process of annotating real-world objects. Because of his role, he was granted "broad access" to databases that included information for the project. The information that he had access to was limited to just a few thousand of Apple's more than 135,000 full time employees.
Wang signed confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreements before being granted access to Apple's databases, plus he attended secrecy training that covered the consequences of stealing data. Nevertheless, in 2016, he downloaded Apple's "entire autonomy source code," and stole additional autonomous systems and hardware information shortly before resigning from his position at Apple in 2018.
When he resigned, Wang did not tell Apple where he planned to go, but it turned out he had accepted a position at the U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese company developing autonomous driving technology. Apple in May 2018 reviewed data access logs and found that Wang accessed sensitive details right before he left, which is when the company involved the Department of Justice.
In June, the DoJ searched Wang's residence, at which point he purchased a one-way plane ticket from San Francisco, California to Guangzhou, China. After he made it to China, the extent of the theft was uncovered. There is a warrant for Wang's arrest, and if extradited and convicted, he will face up to 60 years in prison.
Wang is one of three Apple employees accused of attempting to steal Apple Car information for China. Last year, former Apple employee Xiaolang Zhang pled guilty to theft of trade secrets as part of a plea bargain. Zhang also attempted to flee the country, but he was caught. A third accused employee, Jizhong Chen, has pled not guilty.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry
This article, "Another Former Apple Employee Charged With Stealing Car Secrets for China" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
You may also be interested in this
iPhone 15 Pro Max Predict…
07.06.2023
Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely be more expensive than the previous Pro Max model, according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong
Foxconn Chengdu iPad fact…
05.09.2023
Foxconn chairman Young Liu has reassured workers at its Chengdu factory that it is an "important" base of production, despite Apple's discussions on diversifying manufacturing away from China and into
Final Cut Pro and Logic P…
05.09.2023
Macworld Apple today announced new versions of its Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro media-editing software packages for the iPad, after decades in which they were available only on the
Apple’s AirTags are avail…
05.13.2023
You can get a discount no matter whether you buy a single AirTag or a set of four today. | Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Memorial Day is just
Apple Products and Servic…
09.30.2023
Apple is a multinational technology company that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. It is one of the Big Five American information technology companies, along
How to get Apple TV &…
01.09.2023
You should bring creature comforts if you're stuck in a hotel for a long period of time. Here's how to get going with an Apple TV, HomePod, or both while
Apple Maps redesign expec…
05.03.2023
Public testing of redesigned Apple Maps for Taiwan has begun, but the full release isn't expected until June.Apple Maps image of Taipei, Taiwan. Image source: Justin O'BeirneFirst-party mapping data collected
At WWDC, Apple will lay o…
05.27.2023
Apple’s oft-rumored mixed-reality headset, which the company is expected to reveal at WWDC on June 5th, “is likely to accelerate the adoption of augmented reality — and the broader phenomenon

