On Tuesday, US officials revealed charges in five cases of attempted technology theft aimed at benefiting China, Russia, and Iran. Among those charged was a former Apple Inc (AAPL.O) engineer, accused of focusing on the firm's autonomous systems technology - specifically self-driving cars - and subsequently absconding to China.
During a Justice Department press conference, officials discussed multiple cases of alleged technology theft and trade secret violations. Two of the cases involved procurement networks that were established to aid Russia's military and intelligence agencies in obtaining sensitive equipment.
Despite commencing prior to the creation of the US "strike force" in February, the five investigations announced during the press conference were the first ones disclosed by the newly-formed unit.
In a statement to reporters, the Director of the National Security Division at the Justice Department, Matt Olsen, emphasized the department's commitment to enforcing US laws aimed at preventing the transfer of sensitive technologies to foreign adversaries. Olsen reiterated that the department remains vigilant in its efforts to prevent advanced tools from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, and expressed a strong determination to take all necessary measures to achieve this goal.
According to an April indictment unsealed on Tuesday, the former Apple engineer, 35-year-old Weibao Wang, had lived in Mountain View, California, and was hired by Apple in 2016.
As per the charges, the accused individual secured a position with a Chinese startup that specialized in self-driving cars in the US back in 2017, subsequently resigning from Apple. However, he neglected to inform Apple of his new employment for approximately four months.
the Justice Department said after his last day at Apple, the firm discovered that he had downloaded huge volumes of proprietary material in the days preceding his leave. Federal authorities searched his residence in June 2018 and discovered "large quantities" of Apple data, according to the report. According to the department, he boarded a plane to China shortly after the search.
Apple's foray into the automotive industry, known as Project Titan, has encountered several bumps in the road since its inception in 2014. Apple initially sought to design a car entirely from scratch. However, progress on the project has been inconsistent. According to a report published in December, the company had pushed back the vehicle's anticipated launch to 2026. Despite these delays, reports filed with the state of California suggest that Apple has been conducting vehicle tests on the state's roads.