FTC Finalizes Order with DoNotPay That Prohibits Deceptive 'AI Lawyer' Claims, Imposes Monetary Relief, and Requires Notice to Past Subscribers
- Consumer Protection
- Bureau of Consumer Protection
- deceptive/misleading conduct
- Technology
- Advertising and Marketing
- Online Advertising and Marketing
- Advertising and Marketing Basics
- Artificial Intelligence
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized an orderrequiring DoNotPay, a company that promoted its online subscription service as “the world’s first robot lawyer,” to stop making deceptive claims about the abilities of its AI chatbot.
In a complaint announced in September 2024, the FTC charged that DoNotPay’s so-called robot lawyer failed to live up to claims that it was an adequate substitute for the expertise of a human lawyer. According to the complaint, the company did not test whether its “AI lawyer” operated to the level of a human lawyer when generating legal documents and giving advice, and the company did not hire or retain attorneys to test the quality and accuracy of its service’s law-related features.
After receiving five comments, the Commission voted 5-0 on January 16, 2025,to approve the final order and send responses to the commenters.
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