Popular design software company Figma is facing a new class-action lawsuit in a California federal court accusing it of misusing customer designs to train its artificial intelligence models. This case highlights the growing tension between tech companies seeking to develop advanced AI tools and users’ rights to protect their data and intellectual property.
Article Contents:
- Lawsuit Details: Intellectual Property Theft
- Figma’s Response: No Training Without Explicit Permission
- Focus on Trade Secrets Rather Than Copyright
- The AI Integration Race
- Accusation of Secret “Automatic Opt-In”
- Value of Users’ Intellectual Property
- Legal Implications for the Tech Industry
- Frequently Asked Questions
Lawsuit Details: Intellectual Property Theft
The lawsuit, filed on Friday, November 21, 2025, alleges that Figma used customer data and intellectual property without permission to train its generative artificial intelligence tools. According to the complaint, this unauthorized use of data contributed to the “sky-high valuation” of the San Francisco-based company, which appeared in its $1.2 billion initial public offering earlier this year.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Carter Greenbaum stated: “This case underscores a simple and important principle: consumers and businesses have the right to ensure that their most sensitive data, proprietary information, and unique creative works are not used to secretly train artificial intelligence models.”
Figma’s Response: No Training Without Explicit Permission
Figma strongly denied these allegations. A company spokesperson said in a statement: “We do not use any customer data to train our models without explicit permission to do so.” The spokesperson added that the company takes extra steps to anonymize data and protect customer privacy even when such permission is granted.
The statement emphasized that Figma’s training focuses on “general patterns—not unique customer content, concepts, and ideas.” This defense draws a clear line between using data to understand how design works generally and copying specific customer works.
Focus on Trade Secrets Rather Than Copyright
This lawsuit is one of a series filed against tech companies over the unauthorized use of content to train generative AI systems. However, the Figma lawsuit differs from most of these cases, which typically focus on copyright infringement (such as the use of books or images).
Instead, this lawsuit alleges that the company stole customer trade secrets and unlawfully accessed their data. This distinction is important because trade secrets involve confidential information that gives a company a competitive advantage, and proving their theft can be more complex than proving copyright infringement.
The AI Integration Race
Founded in 2012, Figma provides cloud-based collaborative design tools and boasts a roster of prominent clients including Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, and Netflix. It has also partnered with OpenAI to integrate its application into ChatGPT.
Companies like Figma are racing to integrate generative AI tools that automate tasks such as image generation, layout suggestions, and code generation. These tools require vast amounts of data to train them, which is where the core dispute lies.
Accusation of Secret “Automatic Opt-In”
According to the lawsuit, Figma automatically opted users in to allow the company to use their data to train its AI software without informing them or obtaining their permission. The lawsuit stated: “For years, Figma promised its customers that it would not use their data for its own purposes, including training its proprietary artificial intelligence models.”
If proven true, this claim represents a major breach of trust and could have severe legal consequences for the company, as its business model relies on user trust in the security and confidentiality of their designs.
Value of Users’ Intellectual Property
The lawsuit claims that the value of Figma users’ intellectual property “is reasonably measured in the tens or hundreds of billions of dollars.” The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order permanently barring Figma from using AI models that violate their customers’ rights.
Legal Implications for the Tech Industry
This case will be closely watched by the entire technology industry. Its outcome could determine how cloud software companies handle customer data when developing AI tools. If the lawsuit succeeds, companies may be forced to be more transparent about their data collection practices and may need to obtain explicit, specific consent to use customer data for AI training, which could slow the pace of innovation while strengthening protection for user privacy and intellectual property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the accusations against Figma?
A: Figma is facing a class-action lawsuit accusing it of using customer designs and confidential data without permission to train its AI models, which constitutes trade secret theft and unlawful data access.
Q: How did Figma respond to these accusations?
A: Figma denied the allegations, asserting that it does not use customer data to train its models without explicit permission and that it takes steps to protect customer privacy and anonymize the data used.
Q: How does this lawsuit differ from other AI cases?
A: While most AI training lawsuits focus on copyright infringement, this lawsuit focuses on trade secret theft and unlawful data access, raising different privacy and intellectual property issues.
Q: What are the potential implications of this case?
A: If the lawsuit succeeds, Figma could face massive damages, and it could set a legal precedent forcing tech companies to be much more transparent and cautious when using customer data to train artificial intelligence.
