DoNotPay

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DoNotPay
Original author(s)Joshua Browder
Initial release2015; 7 years ago (2015)
Operating systemiOS
Available inEnglish
TypeLegal technology chatbot
Websitedonotpay.com

DoNotPay is a legal services chatbot founded by Joshua Browder, a British-American entrepreneur. The chatbot was originally built to contest parking tickets, but has expanded to include other services as well. As a "robot lawyer," DoNotPay is a downloadable mobile application that makes use of artificial intelligence to provide legal services, with a subscription cost of $36 every three months.[1] It is currently available in the United Kingdom and United States (in all 50 states).[2]

Services[]

DoNotPay had started off as an app for contesting parking tickets, but has since expanded to include features that help users with many different types of legal issues, ranging from consumer protection to immigration rights and other social issues. The "robot lawyer" makes use of automation to provide free legal consultation for the public.[3] The application is supported by IBM's Watson computer.[4]

DoNotPay has also expanded to include features that help users obtain refunds on flight tickets and hotel bookings,[5] cancel free trials,[6] sue people,[7][8] offer legal services relating to social issues such as asylum applications and housing for the homeless,[2] seek claims from Equifax during the aftermath of its security breach,[9][10] provide automated services to users seeking to obtain U.S. visas and green cards,[11] and file small claims with utility providers and other companies.[12][13][third-party source needed] DoNotPay has also advised students at Stanford University to waive their Student Activities Fees.[14]

DoNotPay offers a Free Trial Card feature which gives users a virtual credit card number that can be used to sign up for free online trials (such as Netflix and Spotify).[5] As soon as the free trial period ends, the card automatically declines any charges.[15][16]

Reception[]

DoNotPay has been featured by the BBC,[17] NPR,[18] NBC,[19] Bloomberg,[20] and The Washington Times.[21] The Guardian reported in 2016 that the chatbot had contested more than 250,000 parking tickets in London and New York and won 160,000 of them, all free of charge, claiming a success rate of over 60 percent.[22]

Browder's technology has received mixed reviews. For example, a writer at The Guardian noted that it "just drafted an impressive notice under the Data Protection Act 1998 not to use my personal information for direct marketing."[23] Similarly, a writer with The American Lawyer noted that, "one of DoNotPay's chatbots helped me draft a strong, well-cited and appropriately toned letter requesting extended maternity leave."[24] However, Legal Cheek tested the service in 2016 with "fairly basic legal questions" and noted that it failed to answer most of them.[25] Above the Law noted that the service may "be too good to be true" due to errors in the legal advice provided and "things as important as securing immigration status, which is one of the services DoNotPay promotes, mistakes can ruin lives." They recommended the service for "clear-cut issues like parking tickets or non-critical matters" but cautioned against it for legal issues with high stakes.[26]

In 2019, DoNotPay obtained $4.6 million in funding from Silicon Valley investors including as Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.[27]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Kumparak, Greg (2021-09-09). "DoNotPay's 'robot lawyer' can now help report potholes or fallen trees to the city, file damage claims". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  2. ^ a b Johnson, Khari (July 12, 2017). "DoNotPay bot expands its free legal services across the U.S. and U.K." VentureBeat. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  3. ^ Kelley, Jaclyn (October 18, 2018). "Robot Lawyer: App allows you to sue anyone with press of a button". Fox 5. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  4. ^ Kreiger, Lisa M. (March 28, 2019). "Stanford student's quest to clear parking tickets leads to "robot lawyers"". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  5. ^ a b Sharma, Ruchira (16 September 2019). "New app promises to automatically cancel subscriptions at end of a free trial period so you won't get charged". iNews.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  6. ^ Dreyfuss, Emily (July 7, 2019). "This Clever New Service Auto-Cancels Your Free Trials". Wired. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  7. ^ Haskins, Caroline (Oct 10, 2018). "New App Lets You 'Sue Anyone By Pressing a Button'". Vice. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  8. ^ Quinn, Lindsey (October 17, 2018). "Josh Browder's DoNotPay lets users 'swipe right' on court settlements and sue for $25k". The Hustle. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  9. ^ "Chatbot offers legal help to Equifax data breach victims". BBC News. 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  10. ^ "Suing Equifax". DoNotPay.
  11. ^ Ambrogi, Robert (October 10, 2018). "New Bots From DoNotPay Includes One That Lets You Sue In Any Small Claims Court At The Press Of A Button". LawSites. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  12. ^ "Sue AT&T (small claims)". DoNotPay.
  13. ^ "Suing Comcast (small claims)". DoNotPay.
  14. ^ deNicola, Cooper (January 25, 2019). "Stanford alum's company advises students to waive Student Activities Fee". The Stanford Daily. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  15. ^ Dreyfuss, Emily (July 7, 2019). "App that cancels subscriptions launches in UK". BBC. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  16. ^ "Virtual Credit Cards". DoNotPay.
  17. ^ Kleinman, Zoe (16 September 2019). "App that cancels subscriptions launches in UK". BBC. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  18. ^ Rezvani, Arezou (January 16, 2017). "'Robot Lawyer' Makes The Case Against Parking Tickets". NPR. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  19. ^ Fishbach, Julie (July 21, 2016). "Coder, 19, Builds Chatbot That Fights Parking Tickets". NBC. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  20. ^ Sullivan, Casey (June 29, 2016). "A Robot that Kills Parking Tickets and its Big Law Friend". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  21. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (June 29, 2016). "Stanford student's robot lawyer has beaten 160,000 parking tickets". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  22. ^ Gibbs, Samuel (28 Jun 2016). "Chatbot lawyer overturns 160,000 parking tickets in London and New York". Guardian. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  23. ^ "Come friendly robots and take our dullest jobs | John Naughton". the Guardian. 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  24. ^ [1]
  25. ^ "Computer science student, 19, says legal profession should be 'very scared' of his new 'robot lawyer' - Legal Cheek". Legal Cheek. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  26. ^ Wilkins, Steph (12 October 2018). "DoNotPay Is the Latest Legal Tech Darling, But Some Are Saying Do Not Click". Above The Law's Legal Tech Non-Event. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  27. ^ Titcomb, James (4 July 2019). "British 22-year-old's 'robot lawyer' app raises $4.6m from Facebook backers". Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-10-16.

External links[]

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