The quoted section says "both the former employee and the tipster", so "the tips...

czx4f4bd on May 10, 2023 | parent | context | favorite | on: Apple busts iOS 17 leaker with spycraft ‘canary tr...

The quoted section says "both the former employee and the tipster", so "the tipster" here clearly refers to the non-employee who would presumably not have signed any NDA with Apple.