Apple has formally accused a former employee of engaging in the destruction of evidence during an internal investigation into the unauthorized acquisition of company data. According to the company, the individual, who was allegedly planning to share trade secrets with OpenAI, took deliberate steps to delete files and wipe devices once he became aware that Apple’s security team was looking into his activities.

This development marks a significant escalation in the legal dispute between the tech giant and the former staffer. Apple asserts that the destruction of these files was a calculated attempt to obstruct the investigation and hide the scope of the data theft. While the company has characterized the findings as "shocking evidence," the former employee has not yet provided a public rebuttal to these specific allegations of evidence tampering. The case highlights the ongoing tension between major tech firms and the protection of intellectual property, particularly as employees transition to competitors or high-profile AI startups. The legal proceedings are expected to focus on whether the digital forensics recovered by Apple can definitively link the former employee to the alleged data exfiltration despite the reported attempts to wipe the devices.