McDonald's is hit with a class action lawsuit accusing it of using AI to fix burger prices across the US

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 7 October 2026.

A federal class action filed in Chicago by an Illinois resident accuses McDonald's of illegally coordinating prices across its independently owned restaurants through an AI-driven pricing engine that processes millions of transactions. According to the suit, the system produces pricing recommendations drawn from nonpublic sales data, potentially enabling franchisees to move prices in unison — and could affect millions of American consumers.

A Big Mac reportedly fetched $5.69 at one Fresno McDonald's and $6.89 at another just two miles away — a 21% gap for an identical product.

McDonald's flatly denies the allegations, insisting 'AI does not set the price of a Big Mac or any other menu item' and that each franchisee retains full discretion over its own pricing.

The lawsuit comes just days after reports emerged that McDonald's pricing engine is capable of gauging what customers in a particular area are willing to spend — a revelation that has raised alarm among antitrust experts.