Apple products, particularly its iPhone lineups, are highly anticipated items.
Each year, the tech company is known to release new versions of the mobile device, all to fans' delight and media coverage. But before that moment happens, each year, leakers work by gathering as much information as they can through various sources, and leak them to the world.
While some leaks are purposefully made to see how the public would react, other leaks can be damaging.
This time, it's reported that Apple had a "double agent" in the leaker community, who worked as a leaker, and also as an informant of Apple.
The leaker named Andrey Shumeyko, or known online as YRH04E and JVHResearch, have been sharing internal Apple documents and information obtained from stolen devices on sale on platforms like Twitter and Discord, for at least a year. He has been praised by other leakers, as well as by the jailbreaking community.
But unbeknownst to them, according to Motherboard, he is also secretly providing Apple's Global Security team with information that could help it crack down damaging leaks, and the individuals responsible for them.
For example, back in May 2020, moments after a pre-release version of iOS 14 was leaked online, the report claims that Shumeyko provided Apple with information about an individual who allegedly helped "orchestrate" the leak by purchasing a stolen iPhone 11.
It was said that the prototype device was allegedly loaded with an early development build of iOS 14 that is only intended for internal use by Apple employees.
This moment happened before the version of the operating system was announced at 2020's WWDC.
In other words, Shumeyko was a spy.
He worked for Apple, by sharing personal information of people who sold stolen iPhone prototypes from China, uncovering Apple employees who leaked information online, and revealing journalists who had relationships with leakers and sellers, as well as informing Apple anything else that he thought the company would find interesting and worth investigating.
Shumeyko said that by serving as an informant for Apple, he hoped that he would be able to redeem himself for being a former participant in the iPhone leaks community. He also hoped that Apple can give him financial incentive for his cooperation.
It is reported that he repeatedly asked if it would be possible for him to be paid. But he later realized that Apple was apparently noncommittal.
Because of this, Shumeyko decided to share his story.
He felt that the company took advantage of him, when he should be compensated for providing the company with valuable information.
Apple is a company who has a long list of supply chain.
While the company works and develops many of its products in secrecy, as a company so well known, there are too many people that work with and for Apple. And that many people couldn't stay quiet.
This is why leaks can happen.
Apple's Global Security is the company's anti-leak team. It is reported that the team also employs former U.S. intelligence and FBI agents. But because the team does not reveal itself, very little is known about the way the members operate.
At this point, Shumeyko who has come out of his hiding, said that he doesn't care what anyone will think of him.
"Them knowing what I am doesn’t really change my life for better or worse. And, well, I just wanted to be heard for once, and the story I tell to be truthful," Shumeyko said.
"Me coming forward is mostly me finally realizing that that relationship never took into consideration my side and me as a person."
