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YouTube Ignored Warnings About XRP 'Giveaway' Scams, Ripple Says

Ripple has disputed YouTube's claims it knew nothing about XRP scams on its site, saying it alerted the video platform hundreds of times.

By Paddy Baker
AccessTimeIconSep 10, 2020 at 10:40 a.m. UTC
Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:54 a.m. UTC
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Ripple has disputed YouTube's claims that it knew nothing about the XRP "giveaway" scams, accusing the platform of "willful blindness" after being alerted hundreds of times.

  • Ripple took action against YouTube in April, holding the platform responsible for the multiple videos that used its logo and the likeness of CEO Brad Garlinghouse to promote scams that ask victims to send XRP in order to be eligible for a larger amount that, of course, never arrives.
  • YouTube filed a motion to dismiss the suit in July, arguing it didn't knowingly engage in any scams and that, as an online platform, it can't be held liable for third-party content.
  • But in a response to YouTube's motion, filed Tuesday, Ripple contested this claim.
  • The blockchain payments firm argued that the 350 takedown notices it sent to Youtube mean it knew all about the scams but opted not to act, or only did so weeks or months later.
  • YouTube is accused of "willful blindness," with Ripple alleging it disregarded or ignored explicit warnings about the scams happening on its platform.
  • At its worst, multiple giveaway scams were uploaded to YouTube every day, some receiving tens of thousands of views in a matter of hours.
  • Ripple claims users were defrauded of millions of XRP, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the company suffered serious reputational damage as a result of YouTube's failure to act.
  • The filing also alleges YouTube profited from earning ad revenue from the scam videos and "materially contributed" to the situation by giving a verified "tick" to one of the giveaway channels.
  • Ripple isn't the only company accusing YouTube of not doing enough to stop such scams.
  • Apple founder Steve Wozniak, along with 18 other plaintiffs, is also seeking punitive damages from the platform for bitcoin scam videos that also used his likeness.

See also: Ripple Says XRP Lawsuit Based on ‘Unsupported Leaps of Logic’

Read Ripple's response in full below:

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