The Rippling/Deel Corporate Spying Scandal May Have Taken Another Wild Turn
Deel spying scandal deepens as the DOJ launches a criminal probe into alleged corporate espionage against rival Rippling.
Matilda
The Rippling/Deel Corporate Spying Scandal May Have Taken Another Wild Turn
Deel Spying Scandal: DOJ Probes HR Startup Over Alleged Corporate Espionage The Department of Justice has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into Deel, the fast-growing HR and payroll startup, over explosive allegations that it hired a corporate spy to infiltrate its top competitor, Rippling. If proven true, the case could mark one of the most brazen examples of corporate espionage in Silicon Valley history—and signal a major turning point for two of the tech industry’s fastest-rising HR platforms. Credit: Vaughn Ridley/Sportsfile for Collision / Getty Images The probe follows a lawsuit filed by Rippling in May 2025, later amended in June, which claims a former employee was secretly working for Deel while embedded inside Rippling’s operations. According to court documents from an Irish proceeding, the employee admitted under oath to stealing sensitive data—including sales leads, product roadmaps, customer lists, and internal hiring strategies—and funneling it directly to Deel exe…
