Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak sues YouTube over Bitcoin scam, cites wider deepfake threat

Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, has recently revealed that he was unwittingly featured in a YouTube bitcoin scam. He raised alarms about the increasing prevalence of deepfake fraud, which is now targeting prominent tech figures such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. In an interview with CBS News, Wozniak explained how scammers took an old video of him discussing bitcoin, added a fraudulent Bitcoin address, and promised to double any funds sent. Wozniak's awareness of the scheme emerged when his wife, Janet, received an email from a victim inquiring about the return of their money. Disturbingly, some individuals claimed they had lost their entire life savings to this fraud. "That’s a crime. If you see a crime happening, you should intervene and try to stop it," he asserted. Despite numerous requests for intervention, Wozniak accused YouTube of inaction. He noted, "We never got to YouTube; our lawyer has gotten to their lawyer, that’s all," and expressed frustration over Janet’s attempts to have the scam taken down, which were met with silence from the platform. Currently, Wozniak is pursuing legal action against YouTube on behalf of those affected by the scam. However, his case has faced significant delays, largely due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields platforms from responsibility for user-generated content. "It says that anything gets posted, they have no liability at all. It’s totally absolute," he explained. Wozniak reflected on the broader implications of this situation, highlighting how the internet has strayed from its founding principles. He nostalgically recalled the early days of the internet, which aimed to democratize information, contrasting it with today's landscape dominated by monetization strategies that involve tracking users and selling their data to advertisers. He is particularly concerned about the lack of effective measures to combat scams, noting the staggering amounts lost each year to fraud connected to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. While he continues to cherish his affiliation with Apple, Wozniak lamented that his criticisms often go unheard, stating, "Nobody buys my voice."