Reddit Alleges AI Startup Perplexity Circumvented Data Access Restrictions Using Scraped Information
Reddit has filed a lawsuit alleging that AI startup Perplexity accessed and used specially planted test content that was supposedly restricted. The case revives a long-standing copyright protection strategy involving digital “traps” to catch unauthorized data usage.
The Digital “Mountweazel” Trap
In a legal filing that echoes copyright protection tactics from the print era, Reddit has accused artificial intelligence company Perplexity of accessing and using specially planted test content, according to reports covered by The New York Times. The forum-based social media platform reportedly created a “test post” that was configured to be accessible only through Google’s search engine and not otherwise available on the internet, sources indicate.