invezz.com
On Tuesday, a California state judge dismissed the case filed against YouTube by Apple Inc’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak.
In the lawsuit, Wozniak claimed that his image was used in some YouTube videos to promote a fake Bitcoin giveaway.
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However, the court determined that YouTube is absolved of all charges. It stated that the platform is shielded by a section of the law that protects internet platforms from being liable for content posted by users.
YouTube and Google are protected by Federal Law
While filing the case earlier, Wozniak stated that his case against YouTube is the fact that the video-sharing platform was complacent in the whole scenario. He stated that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act does not apply to the scenario because YouTube “materially contributed” to the scan. He stated that apart from refusing to take action to delete the videos, the platform sold targeted ads that sent traffic to the videos.
However, the judge stated that the accusations are still not enough to overrule the provisions made in that section of the law. However, Wozniak was given 30 days to revisit his complaints against YouTube.
Based on the bogus videos, the scammers used Wozniak’s picture to the front as the organizer of the live giveaway, which promises to double the amount of Bitcoin (BTC/USD) the participant sends to an address. Apart from the Apple Inc. co-founder, the scammers also used the names and images of other prominent figures, including Chief Executive Officer of Tesla Elon Musk, and co-founder of Microsoft Corp. Bill Gates.
Ripple also filed a case against YouTube
Wozniak is not the only person or organization that has filed a lawsuit against YouTube. Last year, a blockchain-based payment platform filed a case against YouTube as scammers used impersonated its chief executive officer, Brad Garlinghouse, for fake XRP giveaways.
However, both parties settled out of court.