For more than a year, an active member of a community that traded in illicitly obtained internal Apple documents and devices was also acting as an informant for the company.
On Twitter and in Discord channels for the loosely defined Apple "internal" community that trades leaked information and stolen prototypes, he advertised leaked apps, manuals, and stolen devices for sale. But unbeknownst to other members in the community, he shared with Apple personal information of people who sold stolen iPhone prototypes from China, Apple employees who leaked information online, journalists who had relationships with leakers and sellers, and anything that he thought the company would find interesting and worth investigating.
Andrey Shumeyko, also known as YRH04E and JVHResearch online, decided to share his story because he felt that Apple took advantage of him and should have compensated him for providing the company this information.
Also at Wccftech.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @04:33AM (2 children)
Why in the hell would any self-respecting person or company reward a snitch? Disloyal fucks should be happy to be breathing free air.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @05:27AM
Yes Mr. Putin, Sir.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday August 19 2021, @07:30AM
You promise them rewards just long enough to get them close enough to stab/shoot, then don't follow through.
"I have a rule--I don't let go of any money I don't have to." -Patience, "Firefly"
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @04:52AM
"Little Snitch" is software, not a job title.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday August 19 2021, @05:12AM (2 children)
Unless negotiated upfront, with terms of engagement and carefully vetted permitted actions, in performing this 'service' to the company, he was also actively breaching his terms of employment - not to mention breaking several laws.
He's lucky to 1. still have a a job and 2. not be facing prosecution.
idiot.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @05:30AM
Can you convince a jury that you had a reasonable expectation that a double agent would be reliable? They knew what they were getting.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday August 19 2021, @02:03PM
1) What does this have to do with his employment? I don't even see any mention of what his job is, other than that he never worked for Apple, and I imagine most employers wouldn't be too upset by an employee voluntarily helping an unrelated corporation track down amateur espionage agents.
2) What did he do that would make him vulnerable to prosecution, other than when he went ahead and leaked some of the information after all in frustration? I mean, maybe Apple would be in a position to try to sue him for receiving trade secrets, but considering he was helping them identify the source of that information that seems very unlikely. I suppose assuming he was actually selling stolen devices and not just advertising them, that would be something. Ditto his current attempt to sell his information stockpile, assuming he follows through. (or doesn't, but considering the nature of the goods, that'd have to be an extra-legal "prosecution".)
It seems likely that his actions have earned him unofficial indemnification for the crimes he (presumably) committed against Apple before he came clean, but then I haven't heard of Apple trying to track down retired leak-spreaders either, so that's probably not worth much.
Let this be a lesson to Andrey, and any future individuals that might want to volunteer their assistance to Apple, other corporations, and even to many/most people: If you want a reward beyond a thank you and the satisfaction from your actions, ask for it. Ideally *before* you've provided it, while you still have something of value to offer. In general people aren't inclined to offer rewards to random good samaritans, even for much more substantial good deeds. In fact, I suspect many/most genuine do-gooders would be slightly insulted by the offer.
(Score: 4, Informative) by jbernardo on Thursday August 19 2021, @06:12AM (7 children)
Rome does not pay traitors.
Should be common knowledge, really, nobody likes a snitch, not even those that use them.
If you don't know the origin of the phrase, just google Viriato.
(Score: 3, Touché) by tangomargarine on Thursday August 19 2021, @07:23AM (5 children)
Rather ironic statement, considering that during the Empire they were busy constantly stabbing each other in the back to try to become the next emperor. The current emperor dies, sometimes they'd fight for years while up to 5 or 6 different dudes are trying to grab the throne.
The trick was of course coming out on top. Obviously the success rate wasn't great.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday August 19 2021, @07:27AM (2 children)
And then the guy who survived and became emperor would generally get the Praetorian Guard or whoever to just murder any of his political opponents who were still around. On a certain level you kind of have to admire that their politics were more straightforward in that way.
Ancient Rome was much more vulnerable to "whip up a mob on a baseless rumor to go lynch X Random Guy", though. It sounds like you didn't get into politics back then unless you had big brass balls.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @07:50PM (1 child)
Have you seen US news lately, it is all about the mobs being whipped up on baseless rumors. At least on Fox, et al.
(Score: 4, Informative) by tangomargarine on Friday August 20 2021, @01:50AM
As a society most of us at least pretend to be surprised by lynch mobs, though. Ancient Rome was much more blase about just murdering people when their internal politics couldn't resolve a situation.
The first instance of the Senatus Consultum Ultimum ("final decree of the Senate") [wikipedia.org] basically boiled down to, one of the senators concluded that it was impossible for them to win the argument within the normal confines of the constitution, so he gathered a group of supporting senators and just murdered the opposition.
Any guesses as to what Gracchus was up to that had everybody in such a panic?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday August 19 2021, @01:09PM
Sounds like when they had, what, 4-5 Popes at the same time, all the right hand of God and all the 'Chosen One', lol.
Seriously, does anyone still take the Pope seriously?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday August 20 2021, @01:56AM
I guess I forgot to actually state my conclusion: back then you were only a traitor if you lost the ensuing coup/civil war. Or couldn't come to an arrangement with the competition to set up a Triumvirate/Tetrarchy/whatever.
The Empire partially came about because people were tired of there being a civil war every 5-10 years.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Immerman on Thursday August 19 2021, @02:10PM
Not after the fact. If you want to get paid for being a traitor, demand that payment in advance. You'll have nothing of value to offer after the fact.
(Score: 4, Informative) by tangomargarine on Thursday August 19 2021, @07:20AM (4 children)
I recall reading somewhere that as a rule, double agents are easier to turn to be triple agents, because they stop caring who they're working for. "Whoever's paying me", I guess?
Which is a hard idea for me to wrap my mind around...but if they've already defected once, is it really a good idea to trust them not to do it again?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Thursday August 19 2021, @07:23AM
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @03:13PM (1 child)
> Which is a hard idea for me to wrap my mind around...
Let me help you. Is your boss a d-bag? Would you accept a better offer from another company? If so then, really, what does "loyalty" even mean.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday August 19 2021, @03:37PM
Becoming a traitor to your home country for money is slightly different than switching to a different job in a normal field.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 19 2021, @04:00PM
There is nobody more zealous (and fanatical and zealous) than a religious convert.
You could debate the reasons, but it is probably some combination of sunk-cost fallacy, reduction of cognitive dissonance, and wanting to spread the good word they have just discovered.
If somebody has had an ideological change causing their double-agent-ness, then I could see them becoming very loyal. Of course, I could also see them being mercenary. The trick is to separate the two.
(Score: 0) by Coligny on Friday August 20 2021, @04:29AM
So…
Maybe advertise the fact that we might take turn shitting in the mailbox of any company wishing to give him a job…
If I wanted to be moderated by mor0nic groupthinking retards I would still be on Digg and Reddshit.