Google Bard Scammers Sued: Two Vietnam-based Groups Exploit the AI, DMCA Takedowns—How?

Ever seen an ad online that claims it is Bard and wants you to download it? Stop, as these so-called "apps" or "platforms" may be malware, and Google now sued these Vietnam-based groups for their campaign. On the other hand, the internet company also pursued legal action against a nefarious group that used Google accounts to claim DMCA takedowns against competitors.

Technology from the company has always focused on providing assistance and help to users, but if it was used for scamming people, Google is set to take action.

Google Sues Vietnam-based Scammers that Exploit Bard AI

In a new blog post by Google, it announced that it is pushing for two lawsuits against bad actors which center on two different cases, with one centering on its exploitation of the AI chatbot, Bard. According to the company, this first lawsuit centered on Vietnam-based scammers which promotes the download of the AI chatbot through social media ads, but these are rid of malware.

Downloading such apps promising artificial intelligence capabilities and Bard features would lead users to a horrifying experience where their social media accounts would be stolen or lost.

Google reiterates that Bard is a free AI generative chatbot available online, and does not require downloads. The company also regarded that since April, it already had 300 takedowns for the bad actors, now pursuing legal action.

Fake DMCA Takedowns Also See Google Lawsuit

On the other hand, there is another Vietnam-based group that created and used dozens of Google accounts to report copyright issues that led to DMCA takedowns. According to the company, the bad actors submitted fake reports about several businesses and entities online which resulted in massive problems and costly events.

Google claimed that it has a takedown process which it uses for legitimate complaints, now also filing a lawsuit against the group.

Google's Fight Against AI Misuse

One of the main focuses of the world now is to detect AI misinformation on the internet, and this is because many people are misusing the technology to exploit others and use it to their advantage. Security and AI experts find it hard to do so, and this is because many bad actors take advantage of the technology for their gains, also, it remains hard to spot these online.

Still, Google aims to combat this misuse in the world now, with various efforts of the company looking to fight against these campaigns and exploitation by establishing massive parameters and conceptual framework to start with. There is now the Secure AI Framework (SAIF) from the Mountain View company which aims to ensure basic security controls against potential attacks and more.

In a world where AI is now slowly making its way to the top, safeguards are important so that bad actors may not exploit it, and in Google's case, letting these groups know that they cannot get away with their deeds. In the two lawsuits announced by Google, there is one focusing on going against preventing Bard's good name from being used to scam people, and the other one, exploiting Google accounts to hurt their competition.