Apple Co-founder Wozniak Sues YouTube Over Bitcoin Scam Using Deepfake Image

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has spoken out about a Bitcoin scam that used his image and video to defraud victims by promising to double their Bitcoin payments. Despite multiple takedown requests, YouTube has not removed the fraudulent content, prompting Wozniak to sue the platform on behalf of victims, though the case has been stalled for five years due to Section 230 protections shielding platforms from liability for user-generated content. The scam was discovered when Wozniak's wife received inquiries from victims, some of whom lost their life savings. Wozniak criticized the current internet landscape, lamenting that it has shifted from democratizing information to being exploited for profit and enabling widespread cryptocurrency and AI-driven fraud. He also highlighted the growing challenges posed by AI deepfake videos impersonating public figures, which amplify the risks for crypto traders. Ironically, a CBS News segment warning about such scams mistakenly featured a Disney animatronic resembling Wozniak rather than the real person, underscoring the issues of misinformation surrounding these frauds.