DoNotPay Marks 10-Year Milestone Amidst FTC Ruling on 'AI Lawyer' Claims

DoNotPay, the online legal services company founded by Joshua Browder, is set to commemorate its 10-year anniversary next month. The milestone comes as Browder reflects on the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, noting the stark contrast between the perception of AI in 2015 and the widespread use of models like ChatGPT today. The company has also hinted at a "special" launch for its customers to mark the occasion.

"Next month marks the 10 year anniversary of DoNotPay," Browder stated in a recent tweet. He added, "In 2025, people talk to computers all the time with ChatGPT. But in July 2015, it seemed crazy to chat with a computer!" This highlights the significant shift in public and technological landscapes since the company's inception.

The celebration, however, arrives on the heels of significant regulatory action. In late 2024 and early 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized an order against DoNotPay, imposing a $193,000 fine and prohibiting the company from making deceptive claims about its "AI Lawyer" services. The FTC's complaint asserted that DoNotPay's "robot lawyer" failed to meet advertised claims of substituting for human legal expertise, and that the company did not adequately test its AI's performance or employ qualified attorneys to assess its law-related features.

DoNotPay, established in 2015, built its reputation by offering automated assistance for various legal and bureaucratic tasks, ranging from contesting parking tickets to generating legal documents. It expanded its services across the United Kingdom and all 50 U.S. states, aiming to democratize access to legal help. The company, which was valued at $210 million in 2021, began paying dividends to investors in January 2024.

The FTC ruling requires DoNotPay to notify consumers who subscribed between 2021 and 2023 about the settlement and the limitations of its service's law-related features. This action underscores increasing scrutiny on AI-powered services, particularly those making bold claims about professional capabilities. As DoNotPay looks back on a decade of innovation, it also navigates a new regulatory environment that demands greater transparency and substantiated claims for AI-driven solutions.