Steve Wozniak vs YouTube: Victory in a Court Battle Over Fake Videos

Steve Wozniak Wins Legal Battle Against YouTube

Steve Wozniak, known as the co-founder of tech giant Apple, has emerged victorious in a legal battle against the platform YouTube. The case involved the use of manipulated videos featuring Wozniak’s image to perpetrate a Bitcoin scam in 2020.

Appeals Court Ruling in San Jose

The appeals court in San Jose overturned a previous decision by a lower court that absolved YouTube of liability. This ruling allows Wozniak to proceed with his lawsuit against the video platform, potentially paving the way for a change in federal law that shields such platforms from content liability.

Lawsuit Against YouTube and Google

The Apple co-founder, along with 17 other individuals including Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Michael Dell, filed a lawsuit against YouTube and its parent company, Google. The reason behind this legal action was the proliferation of manipulated videos promoting a false scam on the YouTube platform, which went viral.

Video Platform Accountability

The appeals court observed that popular YouTube channels are often used to promote scams, holding Google and YouTube accountable for “materially contributing” to the spread of such deceptive practices.

Summary

Steve Wozniak’s attorney, Joe Cotchett, emphasized that this legal victory serves as a reminder of the necessity for social platforms like Google and YouTube to bear responsibility for the content posted on their sites and not hide behind legal provisions that have so far shielded them from content liability.