McDonald’s sued for alleged antitrust violations by using AI tool to determine pricing for franchises

McDonald’s is facing a federal lawsuit alleging that its AI-enhanced pricing tool violates antitrust laws. The suit claims the tool allows independently owned franchises to exchange nonpublic price and sales information, which unfairly inflates menu prices for Americans. While company policy states that the majority of US stores should decide prices independently, prosecutors argue this coordination stifles market competition. The legal action focuses on the sharing of sensitive data among competing franchisees via the AI system.