THE DARK SIDE OF LEAKING
One of the most accurate Apple leakers up until this point is a blogger called Kang who writes for Chinese site Weibo. Back in June of 2021, however, he posted that Apple's lawyers had contacted him telling him to stop. This brings us to one important fact: Apple doesn't like leaks.
While leaks can create buzz around new product releases, no company wants their products and plans released verbatim to the public. While some hints and half-truths can be beneficial, actual leaking of confidential information can be a serious matter. Recently, Apple reportedly sent a letter to a leaker warning them that misinformation prior to a launch could mislead third-party accessory creators, leading to incompatible product development.
This past spring, Apple actually sued a former employee for using inside information for his own personal gain, citing the employee “had used his seniority to gain access to internal meetings and documents . . and he provided these trade secrets to his outside media correspondent.” A lawsuit leveled by a company as big as Apple could be potentially devastating to an individual, which shows just how serious the exchange of information can be.
Still, rumors are an exciting and important part of the
Apple world, and many come from honest channels. Back in the spring of 2020, Apple accidentally confirmed the release of AirTags through a support video that included AirTags in a screenshot of a Settings menu. Eagle-eyed enthusiasts caught it, and thus we knew about AirTags well before their 2021 launch.
Leaking is tricky business. If you're wrong too much you lose credibility, but being right too much could spell legal trouble. But I believe leaking is a fundamental part of Apple's grand plan, as long as they can keep us guessing. Will these four champs continue to master the game? We'll be keeping an eye out, but I have a guess that no one leaker will stay on top for too long. �