Apple CEO Tim Cook has written an email to employees saying that those who leak confidential information about the company “do not belong here” and the management is doing “everything in our power” to identify those who leak such information. The email comes after details of a meeting last week — during which it was decided that Apple employees returning to offices and Apple Stores will reportedly have to comply with new COVID-19 rules — were leaked to the press. In his email, Tim Cook said that Apple does not tolerate disclosures of confidential information.

Ironically, Tim Cook's email warning employees against leaking company information has also been leaked. According to The Verge, which shared a transcript of the letter and had also reported on Apple's COVID-19 vaccine policy, the Apple boss is “tying the news to product leaks”. The media house also said Apple has historically gone to great lengths to track down such leaks.

In the email, Tim Cook told Apple employees that he was equally frustrated to see the contents of the meeting, which included “most of the details of our announcements” of a product launch, leaked to reporters. “I want you to know that I share your frustration,” he added.

Based on an audio recording of the meeting, it was previously reported that vaccinated and unvaccinated Apple employees may be required to take COVID tests. The unvaccinated employees will have to take them frequently.

During the meeting, Tim Cook had told employees that “we need to learn” about a hybrid workplace after years of working in office and the previous 18 months at home.

Apple, recently, delayed the return of its employees to office. It had planned to do so from October this year but pushed the date till January 2022 because of a surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19 cases in the US.

Like other tech majors such as Google and Facebook, Apple asked its employees to work from home for most of the pandemic.