Apple CEO Tim Cook Ironically Chastises Employees Over Leaks, In This Leaked Memo

Needless to say, CEO Tim Cook is more than a bit peeved about the leaks, something that he vowed to "double down" nearly a decade ago. Unfortunately, Cook's most recent rant about leaks has leaked. Apple held an all-hands meeting last week where plans were it outlined to "infrequently" test unvaccinated employees for COVID-19 and talked about the company's willingness to adapt to a hybrid workplace culture. With the hybrid model, Apple would attempt to balance the always in-person work environment that defined the company for decades and the recent "new normal" sparked by the COVID-19 work from home movement.

Once the details of the company-wide meeting leaked to the press, Cook sent an email out to all employees. He noted that "I've heard from so many of you were incredibly frustrated to see the contents of the meeting leak to reporters," following a major product launch (iPhone 13) where "details of our announcements were also leaked to the press."

Cook went on to add that Apple employees who leak confidential information "do not belong here."

The characteristically calm Cook is a diplomatic as he can be in the letter, which is likely a far cry from what we'd see from Steve Jobs' days at the helm of Apple. You can read the entire email that leaked to The Verge below:

Dear Team,

It was great to connect with you at the global employee meeting on Friday. There was much to celebrate, from our remarkable new product line-up to our values driven work around climate change, racial equity, and privacy. It was a good opportunity to reflect on our many accomplishments and to have a discussion about what's been on your mind.

I'm writing today because I've heard from so many of you were incredibly frustrated to see the contents of the meeting leak to reporters. This comes after a product launch in which most of the details of our announcements were also leaked to the press.

I want you to know that I share your frustration. These opportunities to connect as a team are really important. But they only work if we can trust that the content will stay within Apple. I want to reassure you that we are doing everything in our power to identify those who leaked. As you know, we do not tolerate disclosures of confidential information, whether it's product IP or the details of a confidential meeting. We know that the leakers constitute a small number of people. We also know that people who leak confidential information do not belong here.

As we look forward, I want to thank you for all you've done to make our products a reality and all you will do to get them into customers' hands. Yesterday we released iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8, and Friday marks the moment when we share some of our incredible new products with the world. There's nothing better than that. We'll continue to measure our contributions in the lives we change, the connections we foster, and the work we do to leave the world a better place. 

Thank you, 

Tim

Internal leaks are a problem for most large companies, and Apple has battled the issue for years. In April 2018, an internal memo in which Apple boasted about catching 29 leakers and having a dozen of them arrested leaked to the press. "These people not only lose their jobs, they can face extreme difficulty finding employment elsewhere," said the leaked 2018 memo. "People who leak -- whether they're Apple employees, contractors or suppliers -- do get caught, and they're getting caught faster than ever."