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A WPBF investigation found the lawsuits, filed on behalf of the same Broward County plaintiff, target businesses across the country that do business in Florida through their websites. The plaintiff’s attorneys say they’re protecting consumer privacy. The defense says the lawsuits are designed to pressure businesses into settling.
A WPBF investigation found the lawsuits, filed on behalf of the same Broward County plaintiff, target businesses across the country that do business in Florida through their websites. The plaintiff’s attorneys say they’re protecting consumer privacy. The defense says the lawsuits are designed to pressure businesses into settling.
A WPBF investigation found the lawsuits, filed on behalf of the same Broward County plaintiff, target businesses across the country that do business in Florida through their websites. The plaintiff’s attorneys say they’re protecting consumer privacy. The defense says the lawsuits are designed to pressure businesses into settling.
A lawsuit against a Riviera Beach business over two questions asked through an artificial intelligence chatbot led to a much larger discovery.
WPBF 25 News Investigative reporter Terri Parker reviewed court records showing that since July 2025, attorneys representing Broward County plaintiff Yesenia Muniz have filed 160 lawsuits against businesses, alleging their website chatbots violated Florida’s Security of Communications Act by recording customer conversations without first obtaining consent.
One of those businesses was Riviera Beach-based Boarderie, a company that ships charcuterie boards nationwide.
Owner Aaron Menitoff said he was stunned when his company was sued after Muniz allegedly used the company’s AI chatbot to ask two questions about shipping.
“I was kind of blindsided,” Menitoff told Parker. “I had heard these types of things happen, but when it happens to you, it makes your blood boil.”
According to the lawsuit, Boarderie’s AI chatbot illegally “intercepted” Muniz’s online chat and stored it on a computer server without her consent, allegedly violating Florida’s wiretapping law.
The lawsuit sought statutory damages of at least $2,500, plus attorney fees and court costs.
Menitoff’s attorney, former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, argues the lawsuits attempt to apply a decades-old law to modern technology.
“It’s not spying. It’s not interception,” Aronberg said. “When you have two parties to the conversation and one of them is the business itself, you can’t spy on yourself.”
Aronberg also questioned the volume of litigation.
“I don’t think it’s a good legal argument,” he said. “Because there are statutory damages here and lawyer fees involved, it’s a pot of gold for professional plaintiffs.”
While attempting to identify Muniz through public records, Parker instead uncovered a much broader litigation campaign.
Court records show attorneys Abdul-Sumi Dalal and Veronika Balbuzanova have filed more than 160 lawsuits on Muniz’s behalf since last July, at times filing as many as 10 lawsuits in a single day.
The complaints use much of the same language and make similar allegations that businesses violated Florida’s Security of Communications Act by failing to warn customers before using AI-powered chat features.
Most of the lawsuits were closed without going to trial.
WPBF attended a Broward County court hearing involving two other businesses being sued by Muniz. Neither defendant appeared. Muniz was also not present, although plaintiffs are not generally required to attend preliminary hearings.
Attorney Veronika Balbuzanova defended the lawsuits, saying her client suffered actual harm.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Balbuzanova said. “That’s what we’ve alleged in all of the complaints as well, that there’s actual damage and harm there.”
Asked whether the lawsuits are really about protecting privacy rather than generating settlements, Balbuzanova rejected that characterization.
“We are just pursuing our client’s legal rights, and we believe there is a cause of action there that the Florida Legislature has created,” she said.
The litigation continues to grow.
Court records show three more lawsuits were filed last week.
The defendants are headquartered across the country but do business in Florida through their websites.
One recent lawsuit targeted the United Soccer Federation, filed just weeks before the FIFA World Cup.
Aronberg believes the issue ultimately will have to be resolved by the courts or the Legislature.
“What will happen is this will continue until enough people get hurt by this,” Aronberg said. “Then the Legislature is going to act, and it’s going to kill the golden goose.”
The plaintiff’s attorneys maintain the lawsuits are about enforcing Florida’s privacy law and protecting consumers.
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