McDonald's faces a lawsuit.

The lawsuit is about its AI pricing tool.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in Illinois.

It says the tool breaks antitrust laws.

It shares private data with competing franchisees.

The lawsuit says the tool uses AI to collect data.

Competing franchises do not normally share this data.

The data includes store sales.

The lawsuit also blames the system for higher U.S. prices.

It calls this "algorithmic price-fixing."

It says this targets customers.

These customers are already stretched thin.

McDonald's spoke on Tuesday.

It said the lawsuit is "filled with inaccuracies."

It said it will defend itself strongly.

The company said AI does not set menu prices.

It said franchisees set menu prices.

It said the tools are optional.

The tools do not automate pricing.

They do not coordinate pricing.

They do not fix pricing in any way.

The lawsuit was filed for Michael Thomas.

He is a consumer from DeKalb, Illinois.

McDonald's said it used an AI pricing tool for over ten years.

The company said it collected data for a long time.

It recommended prices to franchisees.

Franchisees own and run 95% of its 14,000 U.S. stores.

The lawsuit says McDonald's has a lot of power over franchisees.

It can pressure them to follow its recommendations.

It asks the judge to make the case a class action.

It also asks for damages.