New Delhi, August 23: Apple has reportedly filed a lawsuit against former employee Chen Shi. The iPhone maker has accused Shi of stealing “trade secrets” related to Apple Watch technology for OPPO (Oppo). The company claims that Shi allegedly accessed sensitive documents and held meetings to collect confidential information prior to his departure, raising concerns over the security of its technology.

As per a report of Livemint, Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former employee for allegedly stealing Apple Watch trade secrets for OPPO. The lawsuit claims he participated in numerous meetings with technical staff on the Apple Watch team prior to his departure. In his resignation letter, he allegedly stated that he was leaving the company "due to personal and family reasons." OpenAI India Office: Sam Altman-Run AI Firm To Open First Office in New Delhi, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Welcomes the Initiative.

Shi served as a sensor system architect on the Apple Watch team from January 2020 to June 2025. In his role as a sensor system architect, Shi oversaw the development of several "cutting-edge health sensor technologies." It reportedly included highly confidential materials like roadmaps, design and development documents, and specifications for ECG sensor technology.

As per reports, Shi allegedly accessed confidential documents related to Apple’s health sensing technologies. He reportedly shared them with OPPO before leaving Cupertino in June, enabling his new employer to develop a competing wearable device. Apple claims that three days before his departure, Shi allegedly downloaded 63 documents from a protected Box folder and transferred them to a USB drive the day before leaving. ‘Macrohard’: Elon Musk Announces AI Software Company To Take On Microsoft, Says ‘Possible To Simulate Them Entirely With AI’.

Apple reportedly claims that OPPO was aware of Shi’s actions and allegedly supported him. The company further claims that, before allegedly taking confidential information from its systems, Shi searched online for questions like, "how to wipe out a MacBook" and "Can somebody see if I’ve opened a file on a shared drive?" As per reports, after leaving Apple, Shi reportedly joined OPPO’s research centre, which functions under the Oppo and InnoPeak brands.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2025 03:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).