Google announced on Monday that it is taking legal action against cybercriminals who used websites to distribute malware under the guise of offering a download of Bard, the tech giant’s chat-based AI tool. The company has filed a lawsuit against what it refers to as “AI scammers”, who set up social media pages and ran ads promoting websites claiming to offer Bard for download, even though it is actually available online and does not require downloading.
These malicious sites delivered malware that allowed the cybercriminals to take control of victims’ social media accounts. Google stated that they are seeking legal action to prevent the scammers from setting up such domains and to have them disabled by U.S. domain registrars, with the goal of serving as a deterrent and preventing similar scams in the future. The company has conducted approximately 300 takedowns related to this scheme since April.
In addition, Google has also initiated a separate lawsuit against threat actors who abused the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) by submitting thousands of false copyright takedown requests from various Google accounts. These false requests resulted in the removal of over 100,000 websites belonging to businesses, causing significant financial damage.
Google emphasized that these efforts aim to protect and preserve the culture of innovation in the United States and promote a safer internet for everyone. The company noted that appropriate legal action, along with collaboration with government officials, is essential in targeting scammers and maintaining a safe online environment.
