What Is the Reddit Lawsuit?
The Reddit lawsuit is a set of separate court cases in which Reddit, Inc. is either the plaintiff or the defendant. No single case carries that name, so this page tracks each one under its own caption.
Reddit sued Anthropic PBC in San Francisco in June 2025 over the alleged scraping of Reddit content to train AI models. Reddit also sued SerpApi, Oxylabs, AWMProxy and Perplexity AI in New York in October 2025.
On the other side, investors sued Reddit in a securities class action in June 2025. A former advertiser sued Reddit in 2024. Reddit also challenged Australia's under-16 social media law in the High Court of Australia in December 2025.
Searches for the Reddit lawsuit often mean the Anthropic case or the investor case. They are legally unrelated to each other.
Why Was the Reddit Lawsuit Filed?
The Reddit lawsuit was filed in several separate forms, each for a different reason. Reddit sued the AI companies because it says they took user content without a license. Reddit sells licensed access to that content, which makes unlicensed use a commercial dispute for the company.
Reddit says Anthropic refused to sign a license agreement. Reddit's complaint says Anthropic's bots hit Reddit's servers over 100,000 times after Anthropic said it had stopped.
Reddit's New York complaint targets scrapers of Google search results. Reddit says Perplexity used those results to reach Reddit content without Reddit's permission. Perplexity argues in its own brief that Reddit does not allege Perplexity scraped any data itself.
The suits against Reddit have different origins. Investors say Reddit hid how Google AI Overviews were cutting search traffic. An advertiser said it was charged for clicks that came from bots rather than people.
What Harms Does the Reddit Lawsuit Allege?
The Reddit lawsuit alleges harms in six categories, and each category belongs to a different proceeding. Every item below is an allegation in a pleading or a party's own filing. None is a court finding, and each defendant disputes its claims.
Breach of Contract
Breach of contract is a legal claim that one party failed to follow the terms of an agreement it made.
Reddit's first cause of action against Anthropic rests on the Reddit User Agreement. Reddit says the agreement bars commercial scraping and that Anthropic ignored it. In March 2026 a federal judge found this claim was not a copyright claim in disguise.
Trespass to Chattels
Trespass to chattels is a legal claim that someone interfered with another person's property, such as computer servers, without permission.
Reddit's third cause of action says Anthropic's automated access burdened Reddit's servers. Reddit's complaint alleges the bots kept reaching its systems after Anthropic said they were blocked. Anthropic can still contest these facts in state court.
Circumvention of Access Controls
Circumvention is a claim under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that someone bypassed a technical lock that controls access to online material.
Reddit's New York case claims that SerpApi's tools evade Google's SearchGuard system to collect search results containing Reddit content. Reddit says Perplexity used those tools. The court let the central circumvention claims proceed on July 31, 2026, according to a law firm summary.
Securities Fraud
Securities fraud, in a civil class action, is a claim that a company made false or misleading statements that affected the price investors paid for its stock.
The investor complaint says Reddit and certain officers misled buyers about how Google Search and AI Overviews affected Reddit's business. It covers purchases from October 29, 2024 through May 20, 2025. Reddit's own filing says the complaint seeks unspecified damages.
Advertising Click Fraud
Click fraud is a claim that an advertiser paid for clicks on its ads that did not come from real, interested users.
LevelFields, Inc., a financial technology company, alleged in 2024 that Reddit billed it for clicks that were not from real users. It pleaded breach of contract and a violation of California's Unfair Competition Law. The court dismissed those claims, as described in the case-status section.
Monopolization
Monopolization is an antitrust claim that a company used unfair practices to gain or keep control of a market.
SerpApi's counterclaims allege that Reddit gave Google different crawling rules than other search engines. A trade-press report describes two Sherman Act counts and four declaratory counts. Reddit had not been reported as responding when that article ran.
What Is the Current Status of the Reddit Lawsuit?
The current status of the Reddit lawsuit differs by proceeding. Reddit v. Anthropic is back in San Francisco state court, and Reddit v. SerpApi is in discovery after a partial ruling. The investor case awaits a new motion to dismiss due November 23, 2026.
Reddit, Inc. v. Anthropic PBC, No. CGC-25-625892
Reddit filed the complaint in San Francisco Superior Court on June 4, 2025. Anthropic removed it to federal court, where the removal papers in the Northern District of California are dated July 3, 2025 (No. 3:25-cv-05643).
Judge Trina L. Thompson issued a tentative ruling on March 20, 2026 and remanded the case to state court on March 30, 2026, according to a Crowell & Moring alert. She found each claim contained an extra element beyond copyright. Anthropic's demurrer is reportedly pending in state court.
| Court | San Francisco County Superior Court (removed to and remanded from N.D. Cal., No. 3:25-cv-05643) |
| Case Number | CGC-25-625892 |
| Filed | June 4, 2025 |
| Plaintiff | Reddit, Inc. (counsel: Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP) |
| Defendant | Anthropic PBC |
| Claims | Breach of contract; unjust enrichment (pleaded in the alternative); trespass to chattels; tortious interference with contract; unfair competition (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17200) |
| Status | Remanded to state court March 30, 2026; demurrer reportedly pending |
The reports reviewed did not include a ruling on the demurrer. Only the state court docket can confirm the current stage.
Reddit, Inc. v. SerpApi LLC et al., No. 1:25-cv-08736
Reddit sued on October 22, 2025, according to trade press. The defendants moved to dismiss in January 2026, and Reddit amended its complaint on February 6, 2026. SerpApi and Perplexity moved again in March 2026.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled on July 31, 2026. A Loeb & Loeb summary says the court kept the Section 1201(a) claims and the New York civil conspiracy claim. It dismissed the Section 1201(b) claim and the unfair competition and unjust enrichment claims as preempted.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 1:25-cv-08736 |
| Judge | Paul A. Engelmayer |
| Plaintiff | Reddit, Inc. |
| Defendants | SerpApi LLC; Oxylabs UAB; AWMProxy; Perplexity AI, Inc. |
| Claims | DMCA circumvention and trafficking (17 U.S.C. 1201); New York unfair competition, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy |
| Status | Motions to dismiss largely denied July 31, 2026; SerpApi answer and counterclaims filed August 28, 2026 (trade press) |
The summaries reviewed did not say how the ruling treated Oxylabs or AWMProxy. Surviving a motion to dismiss means the case continues. It is not a finding of liability.
Securities class action against Reddit, Inc., No. 25-cv-05144
Reddit's September 30, 2026 quarterly report says the company and certain officers and directors were named in the class action in June 2025. Plaintiffs amended the complaint on December 15, 2025. Defendants moved to dismiss.
The court dismissed the amended complaint with leave to amend on August 13, 2026. Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint on October 23, 2026. Any new motion to dismiss is due on or before November 23, 2026.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Northern District of California |
| Case Number | 25-cv-05144 |
| Judge | James Donato (per Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check) |
| Class Period | October 29, 2024 through May 20, 2025 |
| Defendants | Reddit, Inc. and certain officers and directors |
| Claims | Alleged false or misleading statements about Google Search and AI Overviews |
| Status | Second amended complaint filed October 23, 2026; motion to dismiss due November 23, 2026 |
Reddit's filing also says shareholder derivative complaints with similar allegations were filed in the same court. It says no responses had been filed and the outcome is uncertain.
LevelFields, Inc. v. Reddit, Inc.
LevelFields filed in the Northern District of California in May 2024. Judge William H. Orrick dismissed its breach of contract and unfair competition claims with leave to amend on August 27, 2024, Bloomberg Law reported. A later report said he would grant Reddit's motion against the amended complaint.
A secondary summary reports that the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal in May 2026 in an unpublished memorandum. That report was not checked against the opinion itself.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Northern District of California |
| Judge | William H. Orrick |
| Plaintiff | LevelFields, Inc. |
| Defendant | Reddit, Inc. |
| Claims | Breach of contract; California Unfair Competition Law |
| Status | Dismissed; Ninth Circuit affirmance reported but unverified |
Reddit's High Court challenge in Australia
Reddit filed in the High Court of Australia on December 12, 2025, according to most news reports. It asks the court to declare Australia's under-16 social media law invalid. It argues the law burdens political communication.
Reddit said it would keep complying with the law during the case. Two teenagers filed a separate High Court challenge a month earlier. No decision was located as of November 14, 2026.
| Court | High Court of Australia |
| Filed | December 12, 2025 |
| Plaintiff | Reddit, Inc. |
| Challenged law | Australia's social media minimum age law (under-16 ban) |
| Relief sought | Declaration that the law is invalid, or that Reddit is not an age-restricted platform |
| Status | No decision located |
Did Reddit Settle the Lawsuits?
No. No settlement of any Reddit lawsuit was located as of November 14, 2026, and no court has awarded money to any party.
The securities complaint seeks unspecified damages, according to Reddit's own filing. A settlement in a class action would need court approval, and no claims process exists today.
The figure of 14.5 million pounds that appears in Reddit's filings is not a lawsuit payout. It is a fine from the UK Information Commissioner's Office, which Reddit is appealing.
Reddit Lawsuit Updates
Reddit lawsuit updates run from the 2024 advertiser case through the October 2026 investor filing. The timeline lists each dated event found, in order. Some entries come from law firm summaries or trade press, and each says so.
Full Reddit Lawsuit Timeline
LevelFields Sues Reddit Over Alleged Click Fraud
LevelFields, Inc. filed a putative class action against Reddit Inc. in the Northern District of California in May 2024. It alleged billing for clicks that did not come from real users.
Judge Orrick Dismisses the LevelFields Claims With Leave to Amend
Judge William H. Orrick dismissed LevelFields' breach of contract and unfair competition claims against Reddit, Bloomberg Law reported on August 28, 2024. The court allowed an amended complaint.
Reddit Sues Anthropic in San Francisco Superior Court
Reddit filed its complaint against Anthropic PBC on June 4, 2025, as case CGC-25-625892. It pleaded five causes of action, including breach of contract and trespass to chattels.
Investors File a Securities Class Action Against Reddit
Reddit's quarterly report says the company and certain officers and directors were named in a securities class action in June 2025. The class period runs from October 29, 2024 through May 20, 2025.
Anthropic Moves the Reddit Case to Federal Court
The federal removal papers in Reddit v. Anthropic, No. 3:25-cv-05643, are dated July 3, 2025. They attach Reddit's state complaint as Exhibit A.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline Passes in the Investor Case
Law firm notices set August 18, 2025 as the deadline for investors to ask the court to serve as lead plaintiff against Reddit. That window has closed.
Reddit Sues SerpApi, Oxylabs, AWMProxy and Perplexity in New York
Reddit filed Reddit, Inc. v. SerpApi LLC et al., No. 1:25-cv-08736, in the Southern District of New York on October 22, 2025, according to trade press. The suit centers on scraping of Google search results.
Reddit Challenges Australia's Under-16 Social Media Law
Reddit filed in the High Court of Australia on December 12, 2025, most reports said. It asked the court to invalidate the law that bars Australians under 16 from holding social media accounts.
Investors Amend the Securities Complaint Against Reddit
Plaintiffs in the Reddit securities class action filed an amended complaint on December 15, 2025, Reddit's quarterly report says. Defendants then moved to dismiss it.
Perplexity and SerpApi Move to Dismiss Reddit's New York Complaint
Perplexity and SerpApi each filed a memorandum supporting a motion to dismiss on January 2, 2026. Perplexity's brief argues that Reddit does not allege Perplexity scraped any data.
Reddit Files an Amended Complaint Against SerpApi and Perplexity
Reddit filed its first amended complaint in the New York case on February 6, 2026, according to trade press. SerpApi's later motion to dismiss targets that amended pleading.
Reddit Moves to Dismiss the Amended Securities Complaint
Kessler Topaz's case page says Reddit's defendants moved to dismiss the amended investor complaint in Case No. 25-cv-05144 on February 13, 2026.
UK Regulator Fines Reddit 14.5 Million Pounds
The UK Information Commissioner's Office issued Reddit a penalty notice under the UK GDPR in February 2026, including a 14.5 million pound fine. Reddit's filing says it is appealing.
Judge Thompson Tentatively Grants Reddit's Remand Motion
Judge Trina L. Thompson's tentative order of March 20, 2026 found that none of Reddit's claims against Anthropic seeks to vindicate rights equivalent to copyright. She tentatively granted remand.
Reddit v. Anthropic Returns to California State Court
Judge Thompson remanded the case to San Francisco Superior Court on March 30, 2026, a Crowell & Moring alert reports. She held that Reddit's claims were not preempted by the Copyright Act.
Judge Engelmayer Largely Denies the Motions to Dismiss in the New York Case
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled on July 31, 2026, according to a Loeb & Loeb summary. The court kept the Section 1201(a) claims and civil conspiracy claim and dismissed three other counts.
Court Dismisses the Amended Securities Complaint With Leave to Amend
The court dismissed the amended complaint in the Reddit securities class action on August 13, 2026. It allowed the plaintiffs to file another amended complaint.
SerpApi Answers and Files Antitrust Counterclaims Against Reddit
SerpApi filed its answer and counterclaims against Reddit on August 28, 2026, trade press reports. The counterclaims plead Sherman Act monopolization and several declaratory claims.
Investors File a Second Amended Securities Complaint
Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint against Reddit on October 23, 2026. Reddit's filing says any motion to dismiss is due on or before November 23, 2026.
Who Are the Defendants in the Reddit Lawsuit?
The defendants in the Reddit lawsuit change with each case, and Reddit appears on both sides. The table lists who is sued, by whom, and for what.
| Case | Plaintiff | Defendant | Core Allegation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reddit v. Anthropic (state court) | Reddit, Inc. | Anthropic PBC | Unlicensed scraping in breach of the User Agreement |
| Reddit v. SerpApi (S.D.N.Y.) | Reddit, Inc. | SerpApi LLC, Oxylabs UAB, AWMProxy, Perplexity AI, Inc. | Bypassing Google's SearchGuard to collect Reddit content |
| Securities class action (N.D. Cal.) | Investors | Reddit, Inc. and certain officers and directors | Misleading statements about Google Search and AI Overviews |
| LevelFields v. Reddit (N.D. Cal.) | LevelFields, Inc. | Reddit, Inc. | Charges for clicks not from real users |
Regulators have acted against Reddit outside these courts. The UK Information Commissioner's Office fined Reddit 14.5 million pounds in February 2026, and Reddit is appealing. That penalty is a regulatory action, not a lawsuit.
How Does the Reddit Lawsuit Compare to Related Cases?
The Reddit lawsuit overlaps with several other disputes over online data and platform rules. These cases involve different parties and are not part of the Reddit proceedings.
| Case | Parties | Subject | Reported Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google v. SerpApi (N.D. Cal.) | Google LLC and SerpApi LLC | DMCA claims over scraping of Google results | Google's original complaint dismissed July 20, 2026 (trade press) |
| Rogozinski v. Reddit, No. 23-cv-00686 (N.D. Cal.) | r/wallstreetbets creator and Reddit | Trademark and ouster claims | Dismissed; Ninth Circuit affirmed in 2025 |
Google's separate case matters because SerpApi is a defendant in both. The two courts apply the same federal statute to similar conduct, and their reasoning could differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Reddit lawsuit about?
The Reddit lawsuit is about several separate cases. Reddit sued AI companies over alleged scraping of its content, and investors and an advertiser sued Reddit. Each case has its own court and docket.
Is the Reddit lawsuit a class action?
One Reddit lawsuit is a class action. Investors filed a securities class action in the Northern District of California, No. 25-cv-05144, covering purchases from October 29, 2024 through May 20, 2025. The Anthropic and SerpApi cases are not class actions.
Did Reddit settle the lawsuits?
No settlement of a Reddit lawsuit was located as of November 14, 2026. The 14.5 million pound figure in Reddit's filings is a UK regulator's fine, which Reddit is appealing.
What happened to the Reddit lawsuit against Anthropic?
The Reddit lawsuit against Anthropic returned to California state court. Judge Trina L. Thompson remanded it on March 30, 2026, finding Reddit's claims were not copyright claims. Anthropic's demurrer is reportedly pending.
Can I join the Reddit class action?
Joining as lead plaintiff is no longer possible, because that deadline was August 18, 2025. No class has been certified and no settlement claims process exists. Only a securities attorney can say whether a particular investor is in the class.
Is the Reddit lawsuit against Perplexity the same as the Anthropic case?
The Reddit lawsuit against Perplexity is a different case. It was filed in New York federal court as No. 1:25-cv-08736 and names SerpApi, Oxylabs and AWMProxy too. The Anthropic case is in San Francisco state court.