McDonald’s was sued in federal court in Chicago over claims that an artificial intelligence pricing system lets the company and its franchisees set menu prices together, and that customers pay more because of it. [snip] The complaint says he regularly bought the same items at different restaurants and paid different prices. McDonald’s hit with lawsuit alleging AI-powered menu price-fixing https://t.co/bTA38Sf7VU https://t.co/fO1Zk4Zh0v — New York Post (@nypost) October 5, 2026 The suit said about 95 percent of the roughly 14,000 U.S. McDonald’s restaurants are owned by independent franchisees, who are supposed to set their own prices and compete with one another. [snip] It estimates what a restaurant’s customers will pay, uses other McDonald’s locations’ non-public data to gauge price sensitivity, and ties one store’s increases to whether other stores have already raised the same item. “Independent businesses must set their prices independently,” the filing said. McDonald’s has been accused of using artificial intelligence to help push up the price of your Big Mac in a bombshell new lawsuit https://t.co/X6EeT10CtW 🔗 https://t.co/KMM6C6LOfO — Daily Mail (@DailyMail) October 6, 2026 The complaint added that McDonald’s pressured franchisees to use the tool and, starting in January 2026, required them to use the company’s approved pricing consultant and tools. [snip] McDonald’s gains either way, according to the filing, because the company takes the sales at company-owned stores and a royalty on franchise revenue. A May 29, 2024, company fact sheet was cited for a claim that average menu prices rose about 40 percent from 2019 to 2024. The 2022 and 2023 annual reports are cited as crediting “strategic menu price increases” for the revenue hikes. The claims for relief are under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, the Illinois Antitrust Act, and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. [snip] Similar class action lawsuits have been filed in recent years over hotel rooms and apartment rents, Reuters reported. McDonald’s called the claims speculative and uninformed. “AI does not set the price of a Big Mac or any other menu item,” the company said. [snip] Lark Turner, a lawyer for Thomas, meanwhile said that McDonald’s was “leveraging its troves of data and its franchised system to nickel-and-dime consumers down to the last French fry.” This article appeared originally on The Western Journal. (*) Full article: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/mcdonalds-sued-accused-using-ai-extract-much-money/ Post navigation 25 Things Americans Bought at Their Front Door Before Delivery Apps Existed Why China cares about data centers in Arkansas
