Latest news with #SteveWozniak
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Some People Said They Lost Their Life Savings'—Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Is Still Fighting YouTube Over A 2020 Bitcoin Scam
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak is still trying to get YouTube to take responsibility for a 2020 Bitcoin scam. "Some people said they lost their life savings," Wozniak said on a recent CBS "Sunday Morning" segment, disclosing that he was still pursuing a lawsuit he filed against YouTube in 2020. The lawsuit claims that the platform is culpable for losses in a scam that used a Wozniak video to trick people into parting with their Bitcoin. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: . According to Wozniak, the scam video, which promised to double the Bitcoin viewers sent, remained on the platform despite his wife Janet Wozniak reporting it multiple times. "We never got to YouTube; our lawyer has gotten to their lawyer, that's all," he told CBS. YouTube parent company Google did not offer any details regarding the Wozniak case in response to a Benzinga request for comment, but stressed that the firm routinely took down fraudulent ads and videos. "We remove fraudulent ads and videos that violate our policies and terminate the accounts of those who repeatedly post them," Google spokesperson José Castañeda said. "We also have tools for users to report channels that are impersonating their likeness or business, which we take action on, as well as report individual ads and videos that are violating our policies directly from the watchpage." Trending: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — Wozniak said his lawsuit against YouTube has stalled due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider," the provision reads. Wozniak's lawyer, Brian Danitz, told CBS that the provision "limits, if not totally, the ability to bring any kind of case against these social media platforms.' Meanwhile, Danitz suggested that YouTube was not the only platform that needed to tighten up efforts to fight scams. 'Over $10 billion in AI scams are happening on the internet," Danitz said. "Five billion dollars in cybercurrency scams on the internet. We get contacted every week by people who have been scammed on the internet.""Look at spam, look at the phishing attempts just all over the place," Wozniak said. "And there's not enough real, I don't know, muscle to fight it." The situation may get worse soon with rapidly advancing AI tools making deepfakes more sophisticated. Wozniak's warnings offer a reminder to users, especially in the cryptocurrency space, to remain cautious even when using seemingly trusted platforms. "You know, in retrospect it seems so obvious that this must be a scam," one of the victims of the scam that used Wozniak's video, Jennifer Marion, told CBS. "But in that moment, I was just comfortable at home, was on YouTube, a well-known platform. I was watching a video from a verified business. And in that moment, I viewed it like a business transaction." Read Next: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — Image: Shutterstock This article 'Some People Said They Lost Their Life Savings'—Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Is Still Fighting YouTube Over A 2020 Bitcoin Scam originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Some People Said They Lost Their Life Savings'—Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Is Still Fighting YouTube Over A 2020 Bitcoin Scam
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) co-founder Steve Wozniak is still trying to get YouTube to take responsibility for a 2020 Bitcoin scam. "Some people said they lost their life savings," Wozniak said on a recent CBS "Sunday Morning" segment, disclosing that he was still pursuing a lawsuit he filed against YouTube in 2020. The lawsuit claims that the platform is culpable for losses in a scam that used a Wozniak video to trick people into parting with their Bitcoin. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: . According to Wozniak, the scam video, which promised to double the Bitcoin viewers sent, remained on the platform despite his wife Janet Wozniak reporting it multiple times. "We never got to YouTube; our lawyer has gotten to their lawyer, that's all," he told CBS. YouTube parent company Google did not offer any details regarding the Wozniak case in response to a Benzinga request for comment, but stressed that the firm routinely took down fraudulent ads and videos. "We remove fraudulent ads and videos that violate our policies and terminate the accounts of those who repeatedly post them," Google spokesperson José Castañeda said. "We also have tools for users to report channels that are impersonating their likeness or business, which we take action on, as well as report individual ads and videos that are violating our policies directly from the watchpage." Trending: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — Wozniak said his lawsuit against YouTube has stalled due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider," the provision reads. Wozniak's lawyer, Brian Danitz, told CBS that the provision "limits, if not totally, the ability to bring any kind of case against these social media platforms.' Meanwhile, Danitz suggested that YouTube was not the only platform that needed to tighten up efforts to fight scams. 'Over $10 billion in AI scams are happening on the internet," Danitz said. "Five billion dollars in cybercurrency scams on the internet. We get contacted every week by people who have been scammed on the internet.""Look at spam, look at the phishing attempts just all over the place," Wozniak said. "And there's not enough real, I don't know, muscle to fight it." The situation may get worse soon with rapidly advancing AI tools making deepfakes more sophisticated. Wozniak's warnings offer a reminder to users, especially in the cryptocurrency space, to remain cautious even when using seemingly trusted platforms. "You know, in retrospect it seems so obvious that this must be a scam," one of the victims of the scam that used Wozniak's video, Jennifer Marion, told CBS. "But in that moment, I was just comfortable at home, was on YouTube, a well-known platform. I was watching a video from a verified business. And in that moment, I viewed it like a business transaction." Read Next: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — Image: Shutterstock This article 'Some People Said They Lost Their Life Savings'—Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Is Still Fighting YouTube Over A 2020 Bitcoin Scam originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hindustan Times
10-08-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak calls out YouTube over rampant scam videos
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak reflected on how the internet, which was once a tool for empowerment, has now become a fertile ground for fraud, in a recent chat. In an interview with CBS, Wozniak said the computer revolution he helped start was good until the internet offered new business models, in ways that companies exercise power over other people. Steve Wozniak spoke about the prevalence of internet scams in a recent interview.(Bloomberg) 'That's when some of the bad started happening,' Wozniak noted. Bitcoin scam hits close to home A YouTube scam used clips of Wozniak discussing bitcoin, falsely promising to double any cryptocurrency sent to a displayed address. Victims, including Jennifer Marion, collectively lost large sums: Marion alone sent 0.9 bitcoin, which was then valued at $59,000 and received nothing in return. Speaking about it, Wozniak's wife, Janet, said the scammers had put a frame in the video, making false claims with a bitcoin address. This, she told CBS, was a tell-tale sign of it being a fraud. Despite reporting the video repeatedly, it stayed up. 'YouTube is helping dupe people out of their money,' she said. Also read: Southeast Wisconsin weather radar: Flash flood warnings issued in Milwaukee and 5 other counties- here's what we know Taking on big tech in court The CBS report added that Wozniak sued YouTube on behalf of victims, but the case has been stalled for five years due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act: the 1996 law shielding online platforms from liability for third-party content. Wozniak told the publication that the platform has no liability at all. 'It's totally absolute,' Wozniak said. Attorney Brian Danitz added that scams generate billions annually, and platforms are not acting fast enough to curb them. Also read: Apple Got the Jump on Tariffs, Deciding Years Ago to Make iPhones in India A broader internet problem Wozniak warned about these scams being beyond a single site alone: they are everywhere on the Internet through spam, phishing, or increasingly sophisticated AI tools. "There isn't enough real muscle to fight it," he told CBS. Marion, too, warned users against assuming anything is safe because it appears on known platforms. From democratization to exploitation Wozniak reportedly still remembers the promise of internet: a place where anybody could share knowledge worldwide without gatekeepers. Wozniak admitted he loved it for that, but monetization models were introduced and changed everything. "Companies figured out how to exploit it. Google had to make money, and the only way was tracking you and selling to advertisers,' Wozniak said. FAQs Q1: What scam targeted Steve Wozniak? Scammers used edited YouTube videos of him discussing bitcoins, promising to double any cryptocurrency sent. Q2: How much did victims lose? Some lost their life savings; one victim reported losing $59,000. Q3: Why can't Steve Wozniak sue YouTube directly? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content. Q4: Has YouTube removed the fraudulent videos? Victims and Wozniak say many remained online despite repeated reports. Q5: What is Steve Wozniak calling for? He is calling for stronger accountability from tech platforms to combat and prevent online scams.
CBS News
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Steve Wozniak on fighting internet scams
At the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, the exhibits chart how technology got to where it is today. And there could be no better guide to this history than Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. In 1976, Wozniak built the Apple 1, and from that he and Steve Jobs built a company. "Incredible times," said Wozniak. "Just came on down wanting to build a neat product." Wozniak was the inventor, Jobs was the master salesman; and when Wozniak created the Apple II, Jobs had something new to sell: the first personal computer to display color. "That was the machine that really made personal computers go, because it was so fun," Wozniak said. "So many breakthroughs in there that are just so far out-of-the-box." I asked, "You helped start the computer revolution that brought us where we are today – good or bad?" "Well, it was good," Wozniak replied, "until the internet came and it offered new business models, you know, ways to have power over other people and control a lot of customers. That's when some of the bad started happening." And some of that "bad" has happened to Steve Wozniak, when a scam on YouTube was using his image to steal bitcoin. Wozniak's wife, Janet, learned of it from one of the victims. "I got an email on our web server, and it said, 'When are you gonna send me my money?' And I wrote back and I said, 'What are you talking about?'" The scammers had taken video of Wozniak talking about bitcoin. "And then, they put a nice frame around it with a Bitcoin address, [saying] that if you sent him any amount of bitcoin, he would send you double that back," said Janet. "Of course it's fraud." "Some people said they lost their life savings," said Steve. You might think that YouTube, owned by Google, would be quick to take down a fraudulent video using the image of Apple's co-founder, but you'd be wrong. "We never got to YouTube; our lawyer has gotten to their lawyer, that's all," said Steve. Brian Danitz, Wozniak's lawyer, said, "We've asked YouTube over and over, and it keeps happening." So, Wozniak sued YouTube on behalf of some of those who lost money in the bitcoin scam. Jennifer Marion is one of those scammed. "I sent in 0.9 bitcoin, worth $59,000 at the time," she said. Expecting to get more than $100,000 back, Marion said, "I got back nothing." I asked, "You didn't think this is too good to be true? Doubling your money in minutes?" "You know, in retrospect it seems so obvious that this must be a scam," Marion said, "but in that moment, I was just comfortable at home, was on YouTube, a well-known platform. I was watching a video from a verified business. And in that moment, I viewed it like a business transaction. Like, if I was in a physical Google store and the Google store representative told me, 'There's a representative from a company over there,' and they said, 'Okay, we're doing a special, 50% off if you're buying cash,' I kind of viewed it like that. It was kind of like a 'buy one, get one free' for a bitcoin." Wozniak said, "That's a crime. You know, a good person, if you see a crime happening, you step in and you do something about it. You try to stop it." Wozniak's lawsuit against YouTube has been tied up in court now for five years, stalled by federal legislation known as Section 230. Attorney Brian Danitz said, "Section 230 is a very broad statute that limits, if not totally, the ability to bring any kind of case against these social media platforms." Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is sometimes called "the 26 words that created the internet." It became law in 1996. It reads: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." "It says that anything gets posted, they have no liability at all," said Wozniak. "It's totally absolute." Google responded to our inquiry about Wozniak's lawsuit with a statement from José Castañeda, of Google Policy Communications: "We take abuse of our platform seriously and take action quickly when we detect violations … we have tools for users to report channels that are impersonating their likeness or business." Janet Wozniak, however, says YouTube did nothing, even though she reported the scam video multiple times: "You know, 'Please take this down. This is an obvious mistake. This is fraud. You're YouTube, you're helping dupe people out of their money,'" she said. "They wouldn't," said Steve. Jennifer Marion said, "I think that users in general, on YouTube, need to be cautious and know that YouTube isn't fighting back. These scams that have been refined to be very effective and psychologically manipulative are allowed to continuously be put up on YouTube, so they're there every day. So, you need to be aware that it's not safe. Don't think, 'Oh, YouTube, Google be good,' that kind of thing, that it's safe. It's not." YouTube is not the only platform used by scammers. They now operate across the internet. "Over $10 billion in AI scams are happening on the internet," said Danitz. "$5 billion in cyber currency scams on the internet. We get contacted every week by people who have been scammed on the internet." "Look at spam, look at the phishing attempts just all over the place," said Wozniak. "And there's not enough real, I don't know, muscle to fight it." As a pioneer of the personal computer, Wozniak's goal was to give computing power to the people. The internet did that as well. I said, "When the internet really began to be a public thing, it seemed to be there to democratize information." "Oh, I loved it for that!" said Wozniak. "You could talk to people all over the world. They could publish knowledge that they knew without having to go through a third-party book publisher." "What happened to that democratization of the internet?" "Well, what happened to it was, companies figured out how to exploit it," Wozniak replied. "Then came the social web and Google. Google had to make money. And the only way to make money is tracking you and selling it to advertisers." Wozniak sold most of his Apple stock in the mid-1980s when he left the company. Today, though, he still gets a small paycheck from Apple for making speeches and representing the company. He says he's proud to see Apple become a trillion-dollar company. "Apple is still the best," he said. "And when Apple does things I don't like, and some of the closeness I wish it were more open, I'll speak out about it. Nobody buys my voice!" I asked, "Apple listen to you when you speak out?" "No," Wozniak smiled. "Oh, no. Oh, no." For more info: Produced by Christine Weicher. Editor: Ben McCormick. See also:
The Verge
05-08-2025
- Business
- The Verge
David Pogue is publishing a book about Apple.
Posted Aug 5, 2025 at 12:10 AM UTC David Pogue is publishing a book about Apple. Apple: The First 50 Years includes interviews with '150 key people who made the journey, including Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive, and many current designers, engineers, and executives,' according to a description on the book's website. It will be published on March 17th, 2026. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Jay Peters Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Jay Peters Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Apple Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
