Apple starts blocking social posts leaking stolen iPhone 18 data

Apple is going after anyone leaking iPhone 18 Pro footage and imagery stolen from Tata, with DMCA claims deleting social media posts.

The hack of one of Tata’s iPhone assembly plants in India led to over 630 gigabytes of data being stolen, including some from Apple. With that data being shared online, Apple is now working to take it all down.

On Monday, videos were being circulated on X depicting an iPhone 18 Pro undergoing drop testing. The silver-colored smartphone was shown without the iPhone 17 Pro’s two-tone aesthetic, but retained elements such as the three-camera plateau and the Apple logo.

However, less than 24 hours later, those videos have started to disappear from X. Posts sharing the footage are being replaced by a warning that the account “violated the X Rules,” and in some cases, that the account itself was suspended.

This is an unusual move for Apple, which tends to steer clear of the antics of the rumor mill. The activity was easily spotted, and commented on, by prominent leakers.

This was the case for @EVLeaks, formerly used by leaker Evan Blass. However, since his “retirement” from leaking, the account was revived by another person.

Following the @EVLeaks suspension, Blass insists he has nothing to do with the account nor its leak post, reiterating that someone else has control. He also pointed out that Apple has managed to suspend the account, something that “Samsung never could.”

The sudden removal isn’t just limited to Western-based elements of the Apple rumor mill. A Weibo post from leaker Ice Universe noted Apple was starting get leaks stricken from X, posting their own screenshot of a removed post warning.

Justifiable clandestine actions

Apple has yet to officially comment on the breach or the sharing of content from it. Nor can you expect it to do so, other than the usual denouncement commentary and a pledge to investigate.

Apple does have a vested interest to take action. The massive secrecy ingrained into its corporate culture means it will do what it can to shut down these detailed leaks as fast and as definitively as possible.

It does go after leakers from time to time. The Jon Prosser lawsuit is a prominent example of this.

However, this is the taking down of a video sourced from a breach at an Apple assembly partner. That video includes many things like iPhone 18 Pro logic board designs and A20 Pro data sheets, as AppleInsider has previously confirmed.

Apple has more reasons to aggressively take down the leaks compared to a normal rumor.

For a start, the leaked information is legit, stolen directly from an Apple manufacturing partner that had lax security.

There are no intermediary elements or muddying of any claims by leakers with these videos. It’s not guesswork or second-hand information, because actual documents, images, and video are being spread around.

There’s also the argument that the leak is spreading commercially sensitive information and trade secrets. This sharing of sensitive stolen property is certainly the reason why Apple managed to get X to move swiftly in banning accounts.

This is precisely the reason why the Prosser lawsuit exists.

Ultimately, Apple is limited in terms of how much it can take down. Just as you cannot un-ring a bell on the Internet, nor can you fully stop the Streisand Effect, Apple won’t succeed in clamping down on all of the leaks from the breach.

That doesn’t mean it won’t give it a good try.