A former Apple engineer has been charged with stealing trade secrets,Cute Devil specifically concerning the company's work to develop self-driving cars.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California announced on Tuesday that software engineer Weibao Wang has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Though the case was only made public this Tuesday, the investigation into Wang began back in 2018. According to the allegations, Wang began working as a software engineer at Apple in Mar. 2016. Over two years later in Nov. 2017, he signed an employment agreement with another company that was also allegedly developing self-driving cars.
However, Wang reportedly neglected to inform Apple of his new position or resign from his job for four months, only leaving in April 2018. A subsequent review of his past activity on Apple's network determined he had accessed "large amounts of sensitive proprietary and confidential information" within days of his departure from the company.
Wang's California home was searched in Jun. 2018, at which time Apple data was discovered, however he promptly left the U.S. for Guangzhou, China.
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not reveal the name of Wang's second employer, but did state that it was a "U.S.-based subsidiary of a company headquartered in the People’s Republic of China."
What's notable about the case is the sheer scope of data allegedly stolen by Wang. According to the indictment, in 2016 he stole (or attempted to steal) the "entire autonomy source code." Wang also allegedly stole an "architecture design for an autonomous system," as well as "descriptions of hardware systems, including architecture, modules, power, and inputs."
Apple's self-driving project, codenamed Project Titan, has reportedly been in development for years, hitting numerous roadblocks along the way. Last we heard of it, the company scaled its ambitions down from a fully autonomous, steering wheel-less vehicle to launching a car that can autonomously drive on highways only (which some modern cars can to some degree) by 2026.
Topics Apple
Previous：Voting off the Apprentice President
Next：Chess in Kiev
Peasants of Code
Rachel Bloom wants you to vote so badly she wrote a song about it
All the hellos and goodbyes of the 2016 MLB season
Dude who took selfies in the middle of a forest fire gets scolded AF
Radiating Racism
The Cubs and Bill Murray just dropped by 'Saturday Night Live' to sing a bit
Please stop defriending Trump supporters from your Facebook
Hyperloop One video teases project launch in Dubai
Who’s Afraid of the “Petextrian”?
The technology that may finally make ‘clean’ cookstoves a reality
The Midterms and the Turn Leftward
Rachel Bloom wants you to vote so badly she wrote a song about it
Beyoncé and Solange's mom slayed two of her daughters' iconic looks
Even Donald Trump's campaign is fed up with his tweets
Camping Trip
How to unblock Pornhub for free in Mississippi
Trump predicts 'Brexit plus plus plus'
Lady Gaga channels the suffragette movement in election
Memory Keepers
Secret Facebook group is giving Clinton supporters so much hope
The Morning News Roundup for April 11, 2014Turn out the Lights and Watch Joško Marušić’s FisheyeOn Being a RegularSadie Stein on the Things We Are Supposed to LoveThe Morning News Roundup for April 2, 2014Inappropriate by Sadie SteinThe Morning News Roundup for April 17, 2014The Morning News Roundup for March 31, 2014Shad Season by Sadie SteinOn Knowing ThingsGive a Warm Welcome to Our Newest Issue by Dan PiepenbringA Few Notes on Presiding over the Punch Bowl by Sadie SteinListen to Frederick Seidel read his poem “For Holly Andersen”The Little Bookroom by Sadie SteinThe light verse of Phyllis McGinley, born on this day in 1905.An Interview with Jenny OffillThe Morning News Roundup for April 17, 2014The Morning News Roundup for April 15, 2014Ovid’s Ancient Beauty Elixirs by Dan PiepenbringRead Frederick Seidel’s Poem “Arabia” Side Hustle Pro is the perfect entrepreneurship podcast Sports fans finally have a streaming TV bundle (but you'd better like soccer) Barb got her very own shrine at the 'Stranger Things' Comic Mozilla will record your voice for the next generation of voice apps Poop is literally everywhere ... including drinks at McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King BBC dignifies whiney 'Doctor Who' casting complaints with a response John Boyega hits out at lack of diversity in 'Game of Thrones' 'Doctor Doom' is the latest supervillain to get the movie treatment Doomguy is modeled after a famous 'Doom' developer Kit Kat with a cake in it is most luxe Kit Kat you'll ever eat 'Words With Friends' might get a TV show. But...why? 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' footage shown at Comic Moon landing conspiracy theories are as old as the Apollo 11 mission itself The ban on laptops on flights from the Middle East is finally over Einstein would send Professor Einstein robot into a Black Hole Travelers flying to the U.S. from Mexico and Canada will now face additional security screenings Kids narrate the tough parts of growing up in cheeky animated videos 'Legion' Season 2 casts 'Wonder Woman' actor as Shadow King Amahl Farouk Enormous and immersive 8K dome screen is a great alternative to VR New Mercedes S