• Reddit accuses Anthropic of illegally scraping its user data over 100,000 times.
• The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court seeking damages and an injunction.
• Anthropic has been criticized for not entering a licensing agreement with Reddit.
• Reddit’s claims highlight growing concerns over AI companies' data usage practices.
• Reddit has existing licensing agreements with companies like Google and OpenAI.

Reddit has filed a lawsuit against the AI startup Anthropic, claiming it has illegally scraped the social media platform over 100,000 times to train its Claude chatbot without permission. The complaint was submitted in California Superior Court, emphasizing that Anthropic is accused of violating Reddit's user agreement and engaging in unfair competition by accessing user-generated content commercially, contrary to user consent, according to Channel News Asia, CBS News, SCMP, India Times, and Reuters.

Reddit claims that Anthropic's bots accessed its content even after the company assured it had prevented such scraping activities in July 2024. The lawsuit asserts that Anthropic's actions violate not only the user policy but also represent unlawful business practices designed to accumulate vast profits without appropriate compensation to the user base, as mentioned by CBS News, SCMP, and India Times.

Ben Lee, Reddit’s Chief Legal Officer, stated, "We believe in an open internet," but emphasized the necessity for clear limitations on how AI companies utilize scraped content. Reddit has previously established licensing agreements with several tech giants, including Google and OpenAI, allowing them to legally use Reddit's data while ensuring user privacy protections. This contrasts with Anthropic’s alleged refusal to engage in such agreements, as highlighted by Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The lawsuit further exacerbates the ongoing debate over AI companies' practices surrounding data usage, with Reddit seeking unspecified restitution and an injunction to prevent Anthropic from further unauthorized use of its content. Anthropic, backed by major investors like Amazon and Google, maintains that it will vigorously defend against Reddit's allegations, asserting its commitment to legal practices regarding AI training data, according to CBS News, SCMP, and Reuters.