In short
- Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says YouTube ignored a number of takedown requests after his likeness was utilized in a bitcoin rip-off.
- Wozniak’s warning comes amid an increase in AI-powered deepfake fraud focusing on tech leaders.
- Final week, a UK MP referred to as for YouTube advertisements to face the identical regulation as TV and radio promoting.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has accused YouTube of failing to behave in opposition to a Bitcoin rip-off that used his likeness, warning the identical lax methods are actually enabling a surge in world deepfake fraud.
“Some folks mentioned they misplaced their life financial savings,” Wozniak advised CBS Information. “That’s against the law. A great particular person, if you happen to see against the law occurring, you step in and attempt to cease it.”
Wozniak discovered he had been impersonated in rip-off advertisements a number of years earlier and continues to be preventing a 2020 case in court docket in opposition to YouTube for its lack of motion in taking down the content material.
The Apple co-founder mentioned he found the rip-off after his spouse, Janet, acquired an electronic mail from a sufferer asking after they would get their a reimbursement.
The scammers had “really taken video of Woz speaking about Bitcoin,” Janet defined. “Then they put a pleasant body round it with a Bitcoin tackle, and mentioned that if you happen to despatched him any quantity of Bitcoin, he would ship you double that again.”
“Take a look at spam, have a look at the phishing makes an attempt simply everywhere,” Wozniak mentioned. “And there is not sufficient actual, I do not know, muscle to combat it.”
Deepfake fraud on the rise
Wozniak’s warning comes amid an explosion in AI-generated deepfakes and rising on-line fraud. Some $9.3 billion was misplaced to on-line scams in 2024, in response to reviews made to the FBI’s Web Crime Grievance Middle (IC3). The actual complete is probably going far greater.
Tech leaders from Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos have seen their likenesses hijacked in related scams, whereas critics say main platforms stay gradual to behave. A scarcity of sturdy moderation and oversight for on-line advertisements, particularly on social media and video platforms, has allowed spammy, deceptive, and outright fraudulent content material to flourish.
Wozniak’s criticism of YouTube echoes that of UK Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson, who final week referred to as for advertisements on the platform to be regulated to the identical requirements as tv and radio within the UK.
“Rules have to meet up with the truth of how persons are watching content material,” Wilkinson mentioned, warning that “unscrupulous advertisers should not be allowed to make use of loopholes to use folks.”
Google, which owns YouTube, advised Decrypt it eliminated over 5.1 billion advertisements and restricted one other 9.1 billion in 2024, suspended 39.2 million advertiser accounts for main violations, and blocked advertisements on 1.3 billion writer pages.
The corporate mentioned it has strict advert insurance policies, invests closely in enforcement, and has hundreds of individuals working across the clock to police its platforms.
It is not the one tech firm that has are available for criticism of its content material moderation skills. Related claims have been leveled at Meta, X and different social media platforms.
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