Meta Caught the Quest 3 Leaker Following “Monthslong” Internal Investigations
Detailed schematics of a prototype of Meta’s upcoming standalone Quest 3 headset set to lunch later this year were published by YouTuber and XR hardware analysts Brad Lynch (SadlyItsBradley) some time back. Meta has now unearthed the source of those leaks.
Lynch leaked detailed technical drawings of the Meta Quest Pro and Quest Touch controllers mid-last year and the leaks turned out to be pretty accurate following the official unveiling and launch of the devices. Those leaks were followed by further leaks, published by Lynch, of a purported Quest 3 prototype late last year, a year ahead of the device’s scheduled release date.
It is usual for the technical details of upcoming virtual reality devices to be leaked to major publications ahead of their release. However, SadlyItsBradley’s leaks went even further, revealing very precise details on the de
Meta conducted a “monthslong leak investigation” and unearthed the source behind the leaks according to The Verge report.
The news was shared with employees by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth earlier in the week, according to an internal post that was seen by The Verge. In the post, Bosworth said Meta had severed ties with the leaker who was reportedly a third-party contractor who leaked the info for a share of revenues from YouTube ads that run on Brad Lynch’s YouTube channel. In the internal post, Bosworth revealed that the leaker got a small sum from Lynch for the leak.
Lynch, neither confirming nor denying Meta’s findings, told The Verge that the leaker may have asked for a share of his YouTube ad revenues as he wasn’t willing to pay them a large sum upfront.
Lynch has published leaks of other Meta products way ahead of the launch date which turned out to be accurate. He published detailed CAD drawings and specifications of the Meta Quest Pro headset. In September last year, he also published drawings and specifications of the Meta Quest 3 headset, a consumer-focused successor to the Meta Quest 2 headset expected to be launched later in the year.
Its rare for major corporations to publicize the discovery and firing of leakers so it is likely Meta wanted to make an example of the whistleblower and send a signal out there on how seriously they treat such offenses.
The fact that Met chose to share the outcome of the investigation with its employees also suggests that the video leaks published by Lynch last year caused some problems for the company, even though the leaks weren’t covered by the mainstream media at the time . Meta is yet to divulge how the Quest 3 headset will work although it has confirmed that the headset will launch later in the year.
https://virtualrealitytimes.com/2023/02/10/meta-caught-the-quest-3-leaker-following-monthslong-internal-investigations/https://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Quest-3-Renders-from-SadlyItsBradley-published-leaks-600x338.jpghttps://virtualrealitytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Quest-3-Renders-from-SadlyItsBradley-published-leaks-150x90.jpgTechnologyDetailed schematics of a prototype of Meta’s upcoming standalone Quest 3 headset set to lunch later this year were published by YouTuber and XR hardware analysts Brad Lynch (SadlyItsBradley) some time back. Meta has now unearthed the source of those leaks. Lynch leaked detailed technical drawings of the Meta Quest...Rob GrantRob Grant[email protected]AuthorVirtual Reality Times - Metaverse & VR