Google has taken legal action against scammers who are offering fake downloads of its AI chatbot Bard, which is not downloadable. The tech giant claims that the scammers are using its trademarks to lure users into installing malware, which allows them to steal social media login credentials.
Google Bard is an artificial intelligence chatbot that can generate creative and innovative content such as poems, stories, code, essays, songs, celebrity parodies, and more. It was first released publicly in March 2023 and has been praised for its ability to produce high-quality and original content.
However, Google Bard is not a software that can be downloaded or installed on a device. It is a web-based service that can be accessed through a browser or an app. Users can interact with Bard by typing in prompts or queries and receiving responses in text or audio format.
Scammers Exploit Google’s Trademarks and Users’ Curiosity
According to Google, some scammers have been exploiting its trademarks and users’ curiosity to market fake downloads of Bard. They use social media posts and web pages to advertise free downloads of Bard, which in reality are malware-laden files that can infect users’ computers.
The malware allows the scammers to take over users’ social media accounts and use them for fraudulent purposes. Google said that the targets of the scheme include small businesses and other Facebook advertisers, who may lose money or reputation due to the scammers’ actions.
Google also accused the scammers of violating its terms of service by impersonating the company and hosting the malware on Google Sites and Google Drive. The tech giant said that it has filed nearly 300 related takedown requests to stop the scammers from using its platforms.
Google Seeks to Set a Legal Precedent and Raise the Consequences
Google has filed a lawsuit against anonymous individuals in California federal court for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract. The tech giant is seeking to block the scheme and recover the scammers’ profits and other monetary damages.
Google’s general counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado said in a statement that the scammers “misled numerous people around the world” and that the company is taking legal action to “set a legal precedent, disrupt the tools used by scammers, and raise the consequences for bad actors.”
Google also reminded users that they do not need to download Bard, as it is a web-based service that can be accessed through its official website or app. The tech giant advised users to be careful of any offers that claim to provide free downloads of Bard or any other Google products that are not downloadable.