ChatGPT class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Saje Lim filed a class action lawsuit against OpenAI Global LLC.
- Why: Lim claims OpenAI shared ChatGPT queries with Meta and Google without users’ knowledge or consent.
- Where: The OpenAI class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit accuses OpenAI of sharing queries entered into its ChatGPT service with Meta and Google without users’ knowledge or consent.
Plaintiff Saje Lim claims OpenAI disclosed the ChatGPT queries to Meta and Google by incorporating technology owned by the tech giants into the code of its website.
“Despite reasonable expectations of privacy, and [OpenAI’s] legal duties to prevent the disclosure of such private information, [OpenAI] disclosed information provided by consumers to Meta Platforms Inc. and Google LLC,” the OpenAI class action lawsuit says.
Lim argues OpenAI’s alleged actions violate the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the California Constitution by disclosing the private and confidential information of consumers without their consent.
OpenAI allegedly shared user data with third parties for advertising and analytics
The OpenAI class action lawsuit claims the company disclosed ChatGPT users’ query topics and personally identifiable information to Meta and Google for marketing, advertising and analytics purposes.
“Google Analytics is designed to collect information about website visitors that can be matched to an individual’s existing profile for the purpose of sending targeted advertising to that user,” the OpenAI class action says.
Lim wants to represent a nationwide class and California subclass of individuals who had their personally identifiable information and communications with ChatGPT disclosed to third parties as a result of using the website.
The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of statutory damages of $5,000 per violation or three times the amount of actual damages.
Meanwhile, Superhuman Platform Inc. is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it misappropriated the names and identities of hundreds of journalists, authors and editors to generate profits for its Grammarly platform.
Have you used OpenAI’s ChatGPT service? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Philip L. Fraietta, Max S. Roberts and Joshua R. Wilner of Bursor & Fisher P.A.
The ChatGPT class action lawsuit is Lim v. OpenAI Global LLC, Case No. 3:26-cv-04063, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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