Source: The Hindu

The Hindu reports on a significant lawsuit filed against the collaborative interface design tool Figma, accusing the company of misappropriating customer data to train its artificial intelligence models. The plaintiffs allege that Figma utilized private design files and intellectual property stored on its platform without obtaining explicit consent from the creators. This legal action highlights the growing friction regarding "Terms of Service" updates that quietly enable data usage for AI enhancement , often via obscure opt-out mechanisms rather than affirmative opt-in choices.

The lawsuit raises critical questions about contract law and data stewardship in the SaaS (Software as a Service) industry. If successful, it could establish a precedent that user-generated content on professional platforms cannot be treated as free fodder for machine learning algorithms. The case touches upon the breach of confidentiality and the violation of reasonable expectations of privacy, challenging the tech industry's standard practice of leveraging user data to build competitive AI features under the guise of service improvement.