The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has concluded its action against DoNotPay, a company that advertised its online service as “the world’s first robot lawyer.” The FTC's order mandates that DoNotPay cease making misleading claims about the capabilities of its AI chatbot.

In a complaint from September 2024, the FTC accused DoNotPay of failing to substantiate its claims that the "robot lawyer" could adequately replace human legal expertise. The complaint highlighted that the company did not evaluate whether its AI operated at the level of a human lawyer when producing legal documents and providing advice. Furthermore, DoNotPay did not employ attorneys to assess the quality and accuracy of its law-related features.

As part of the final order, DoNotPay is required to pay $193,000 in monetary relief. Additionally, it must inform consumers who subscribed to their service between 2021 and 2023 about the FTC settlement. The order also prohibits DoNotPay from claiming that its service performs like a real lawyer without adequate evidence.

Following five comments received during the process, the Commission unanimously voted 5-0 on January 16, 2025, to approve the final order and respond to commenters.

The Federal Trade Commission's mission includes promoting competition and protecting consumer interests. The FTC advises that it will never request money, make threats, instruct you to transfer funds, or promise prizes. More information on consumer issues can be found at consumer.ftc.gov. Reports on fraud and scams can be submitted at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Updates from the FTC are available through social media channels, consumer alerts, business blogs, and news alerts subscriptions.