McDonald's is facing a proposed nationwide class action filed October 2 in federal court in Chicago by Michael Thomas of DeKalb, Illinois, over the company's alleged use of an AI-enhanced pricing tool across its independently owned franchises, according to The Guardian and USA Today. The complaint says the tool lets franchise locations exchange nonpublic price and sales data, which prosecutors argue violates antitrust law and has unfairly inflated menu prices for Americans. In its own language, the suit calls the system an "information-sharing pricing platform" drawing on millions of daily transactions, producing "algorithmic price-fixing aimed at customers who are already stretched thin."

The stakes extend far beyond one burger chain. L'Express Franchise notes a parallel wave of lawsuits has targeted landlords and hotel groups using shared revenue-management software under a similar theory, and if courts accept that framing here, it would reach any QSR or retail franchise using a system-wide pricing tool. CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged in August that only 60% of US restaurants were offering the proposed 10-item menu under $3, saying "it requires conversations with franchisees" — a quote the complaint uses to argue the company pressures franchisees while calling the tool optional. Experts cited by The Guardian say at least 90 pieces of legislation were filed this year to push back against algorithmic price-fixing.

The case, Thomas v. McDonald's USA, LLC et al., remains at the complaint stage in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and McDonald's has not yet filed a formal response in court, L'Express Franchise reports. Thomas is asking a judge to certify the class so potentially millions of McDonald's customers nationwide can join, seek damages and prevent the company from enforcing agreements that restrict competition. If it proceeds, discovery could surface internal documentation about how the pricing tool works — and franchise attorneys across the QSR sector will be watching closely.