Apple sends preservation orders to 40 ex-employees at OpenAI

Apple has sent legal preservation orders to approximately 40 former employees now working at OpenAI, significantly expanding the scope of its trade secrets lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company. The move, reported on July 17, 2026, signals Apple's belief that the alleged misappropriation of confidential information may extend far beyond the two former executives it has already sued.

The preservation letters are formal directives requiring recipients to retain documents, messages, emails, and other communications that could be relevant to the case. This legal step overrides standard data retention policies, and destroying requested information would constitute a legal offense. The action follows Apple's initial lawsuit filed on July 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which accuses OpenAI and two former Apple employees of orchestrating a coordinated plot to obtain secret product designs, manufacturing methods, supply chain details, and internal development information.

The named individuals in the lawsuit are Tang Tan, Apple's former vice president of product design for iPhone and Apple Watch who now serves as OpenAI's Chief...