Ex-Google Employees Charged with Theft of Tensor Chip Trade Secrets
Three individuals, including two former Google employees, have been indicted on federal charges related to the theft of trade secrets pertaining to Google’s Tensor chip development for Pixel phones. The charges include conspiracy, theft of trade secrets and destruction of evidence.
Details of the Case
The US Department of Justice, in USA v. Ghandali (26-cr-00071), has accused Samaneh Ghandali, Soroor Ghandali, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi of the alleged crimes. Samaneh Ghandali was a hardware engineer at Google, while Soroor Ghandali was an intern. Mohammadjavad Khosravi, Samaneh’s husband, had applied to function at Google multiple times and was employed by a different tech company.
According to the indictment, the three individuals face 14 felony counts. If convicted on the most serious charges, they could face a minimum of 20 years in prison. Bloomberg first reported on the case.
Google’s Response
A Google spokesperson stated, “We have enhanced safeguards to protect our confidential information and immediately alerted law enforcement after discovering this incident. Today’s indictments are an important step towards accountability and we’ll continue working to ensure our trade secrets remain secure.”
Previous Security Incidents
This incident follows a previous leak in 2024, where a slide deck detailing the Tensor G5 and future Tensor G6 chipsets was intentionally leaked. Google subsequently sued the individual responsible for that leak. Android Authority notes this is the first major security chip upgrade for Pixel phones since the Titan M2 in 2021.
Background on Google Tensor
Google Tensor is a series of ARM64-based system-on-chip (SoC) processors designed by Google specifically for its Pixel devices. Development of a custom-designed SoC began in 2016, following the introduction of the first Pixel smartphone, with significant progress made by 2020. Google Tensor chips have been featured in Pixel phones since the Pixel 6 in 2021, with subsequent generations including the Tensor G2 (2022), G3 (2023), G4 (2024), and G5 (2025).
The Tensor G5 chip, found in the Pixel 10 series, represents a significant performance leap, offering improvements to the TPU (up to 60% more powerful), CPU (34% faster on average), and Imaging Signal Processor (ISP). Google Store highlights the chip’s role in enhancing AI capabilities, camera quality, and overall performance.
H/T Droid-Life