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Man Convicted of Stealing Google AI Secrets for China

1/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, was convicted January 29, 2026, in San Francisco of stealing artificial intelligence (AI) trade secrets for Chinese companies.
A federal jury found seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft after an 11-day trial, with sentencing set for February 3, 2026.
Prosecutors say Ding stole over 14,000 pages of proprietary information from Google and moved files to his personal cloud.

History

Historical Context

The Economic Espionage Act was enacted in 1996 to address the growing threat of trade secret theft, particularly from foreign entities. This law empowered the FBI to prosecute cases like Linwei Ding's, who stole over 14,000 pages of Google’s proprietary information. The Act reflects ongoing U.S.-China tensions over technology and intellectual property, leading to increased scrutiny of foreign nationals in sensitive industries.

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Story summary

Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, was convicted January 29, 2026, in San Francisco of stealing artificial intelligence (AI) trade secrets for Chinese companies.
A federal jury found seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft after an 11-day trial, with sentencing set for February 3, 2026.
Prosecutors say Ding stole over 14,000 pages of proprietary information from Google and moved files to his personal cloud.

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