Former engineer Apple Xiaolong Zhang pleaded guilty to stealing the company’s trade secrets. Zhang worked at Cupertino giant in the period from 2015 to 2018 and participated in the company’s project to create unmanned vehicles. A crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine was committed at the end of his tenure at Applewhen he took a leave of absence and went to China, retiring upon his return.

Apple Car files were stolen and given to a Chinese company

According to the investigation into the case, Xiaolong Zhang handed over about 24GB of “extremely problematic” files, according to Appleto your wife’s notebook via airdropa tool that allows you to share files between devices cupertino company. In addition, Zhang also stole printed circuit boards (PCB) and files from the server of the laboratory responsible for the development Apple self-driving car. On November 14, a new court session will be held, which will determine the punishment, which can reach up to 10 years in prison.

Zheng committed the crime in 2018 when data thefts preceded his application for parental leave. While on vacation, Zheng went to China, leaving Apple upon your return. He was subsequently hired Xiaoping Motors Technologyelectric vehicle company, also known as Xpeng. OUR Xpeng is common with other cases of confidential information theft from Apple and even Tesla.

Xpeng: A sticker with information about electric and autonomous vehicles.

In 2019 Jizhong Chen, another former employee Applewas accused of stealing trade secrets from apple company — Chen and Zhang have the same lawyer. He pleads not guilty to the charges and will also work for another unnamed Chinese electric vehicle company. But in the same year, an employee Tesla was accused of stealing the source codes of the system autopilot companies and delivered to Xpeng.

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Via: The Verge, 9 to 5 Mac

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