The tech world is once again in shock over the recent case of a former Apple engineer accused of stealing the company’s self-driving vehicle technology. This event occurs almost five years after the individual fled to China. Authorities accuse Weibao Wang, 35, of stealing thousands of files containing confidential information while secretly working for an unspecified Chinese company. The US Department of Justice has filed a six-count indictment with theft or attempted theft of trade secrets.
A betrayal of innovation
The alleged crime, commented on the BBC, once again reveals the risk faced by the world’s largest technology companies, which invest enormous resources in research and development of cutting-edge technologies. In this case, Apple’s autonomous vehicle technology, a top-secret project known to very few inside the company, was compromised.
Weibao Wang joined Apple in March 2016 as a member of the team responsible for developing technologies for autonomous systems. During his time at the company, he signed a confidentiality agreement related to the project. However, in April 2018, four months after accepting a job offer at another Chinese autonomous vehicle development company, he left Apple.
An escape into hiding
The engineer left the United States for China, where he began working for the company undisclosed in the indictment. Although Wang claimed he had no plans to leave the country at the time authorities searched his home in Mountain View, California, he bought a one-way ticket from San Francisco to Guangzhou, China, that same day. This fact revealed his true intentions and generated even more suspicions about his participation in the theft of trade secrets.
Evidence gathered during the investigation revealed that Wang stored large amounts of Apple data related to autonomous vehicle technology. However, so far, the defendant remains in China and his extradition has not been carried out.
an alarming pattern
This is not the first case in which a former Apple employee has been accused of stealing technology secrets related to autonomous vehicles to benefit Chinese companies. Last year, Xiaolang Zhang pleaded guilty in a San Jose, California, court to a similar offense. Furthermore, another former Apple employee, Jizhong Chen, is also facing similar charges.
These events highlight the need for technology companies to strengthen their security measures and protection of intellectual property. Innovation and research are fundamental pillars of the technology industry, and the loss of trade secrets can have serious consequences for progress and competitiveness in this field.
