Multiple reports citing The Information say that Apple’s iCloud setup has left some former employees with ongoing access to confidential company materials after they depart. More than half a dozen former Apple staff members told The Information that documents shared with them during employment continued to sync on their personal devices through their personal iCloud accounts. In some cases, they received notifications when the files were updated. The materials reportedly included sensitive items such as plans for product launch events and other internal content.
The reports attribute the issue to Apple’s practice of encouraging employees to connect their personal Apple Accounts with iCloud storage used for work. Employees receive iCloud storage (reported as 2TB) and can merge it with an existing personal plan. While Apple has a managed folder intended for workplace files that it revokes when an employee leaves, some internal documents may not be stored there automatically, resulting in shared files mixing with personal content. Sources also say access can extend beyond files to certain Messages-related content.
This accounts for attention in the context of Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI, where Apple alleges a different mechanism for downloading files. Apple states the OpenAI case is unrelated to iCloud materials and says it does not pursue claims against former employees who accidentally retain Apple documents in personal iCloud accounts.
