A group of YouTubers suing tech companies for allegedly using their videos to train AI models has added Snap to its list of defendants, TechCrunch reports.
The plaintiffs are content creators who operate three YouTube channels, with a combined total of approximately 6.2 million subscribers. They allege that Snap used the videos without their permission to train its AI systems, including tools used for features such as the app’s “Imagine Lens,” which allows users to edit images through text prompts.
The creators had previously filed similar lawsuits against Nvidia, Meta, and ByteDance.
In a proposed class action filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, plaintiffs accuse Snap of using large video and language datasets, including HD-VILA-100M. These datasets are intended for academic and research purposes only and are not intended for commercial use.
The complaint alleges that Snap circumvented YouTube’s technical safeguards, terms of service, and licensing restrictions that prohibit commercial use of such content. The plaintiffs are seeking statutory damages and a permanent injunction restraining the alleged copyright infringement.
The lawsuit is led by the creators of the h3h3 YouTube channel, which has approximately 5.52 million subscribers, and the smaller channels MrShortGame Golf and Golfholics.
The lawsuit is part of a growing number of lawsuits brought against AI companies by content creators and rights holders. More than 70 copyright infringement lawsuits have been filed against AI companies, according to the nonprofit Copyright Alliance.
Some cases have been resolved in favor of technology companies, while others have ended in settlements.
