Reddit sues Anthropic for using user content to train AI without consent

Reddit alleges Anthropic scraped platform content to train Claude without permission, contrasting it with licensed deals with OpenAI and Google to safeguard user rights

Social media platform Reddit has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic, alleging that it illegally scraped user-generated content to train its chatbot, Claude.

 

The suit was filed on Wednesday in the California Superior Court in San Francisco. Reddit claims Anthropic used automated tools to extract posts and comments from its platform despite explicit instructions not to do so. It says the content was then used to train Claude without proper user consent or licences.

 

Ben Lee, Reddit’s chief legal officer, criticised the alleged data practices, stating, “AI companies should not be allowed to scrape information and content from people without clear limitations on how they can use that data.” He said Reddit is committed to protecting its user community, which generates one of the internet’s largest bodies of discussion content.

 

Legal partnerships cited as contrast

 

Reddit, which went public last year, pointed to its existing licensing agreements with companies like OpenAI and Google as examples of lawful collaboration. These partnerships, the company said, include mechanisms to remove content, filter spam, and protect users.

 

“These partnerships allow us to enforce meaningful safeguards for our users,” said Lee, underscoring the contrast with what Reddit describes as Anthropic’s unlicensed use of its data. 

 

Anthropic rejects charges, prepares defence

 

Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees and backed by Amazon, denied the allegations.

 

“We disagree with Reddit’s claims and will defend ourselves vigorously,” the company said in a brief statement.

 

Focus on breach of contract, not copyright

 

While many AI-related lawsuits centre on copyright violations, Reddit’s case focuses on breach of contract and unfair business practices. It argues that Anthropic violated Reddit’s terms of service by accessing data without authorisation.

 

The filing cites a 2021 research paper co-authored by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, which named Reddit as a valuable training resource. Subreddits on gardening, history, and personal advice were specifically mentioned for teaching AI how humans communicate.

 

Anthropic has previously maintained its use of public data is legal. In a 2023 letter to the US Copyright Office, the company stated that its training involves statistical analysis rather than content replication.

 

(With inputs from AP)