Grammarly Faces Lawsuit Over Impersonating Writers Without Permission

The company's 'Expert Review' feature angered countless journalists, authors, and academics who found they were being impersonated.

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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Grammarly's parent company Superhuman is facing a class action lawsuit filed by The Markup editor-in-chief Julia Angwin after the company rolled out an 'Expert Review' feature that impersonated writers without their consent. Angwin and other writers are distressed to discover their expertise was being sold by Grammarly without permission. Superhuman has apologized but failed to mention the pending lawsuit in its statement.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing concerns around large language models and AI systems that scrape copyrighted materials and impersonate individuals without their consent. It raises questions about the rights of professionals who have spent years honing their skills and expertise, only to see it appropriated by tech companies for commercial gain.

The details

Grammarly's 'Expert Review' feature, which was quietly rolled out last year, allowed the company to impersonate writers, journalists, and academics without their permission. This sparked an enormous backlash, leading Grammarly's parent company Superhuman to issue a public apology. However, the company failed to mention that it was also facing a class action lawsuit filed by The Markup editor-in-chief Julia Angwin in the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit alleges Grammarly misappropriated the names and identities of hundreds of professionals to earn profits, and is seeking at least $5 million in damages.

  • On March 12, 2026, Grammarly CEO Shishir Mehrotra issued a public apology on LinkedIn.
  • Also on March 12, 2026, The Markup editor-in-chief Julia Angwin filed a class action lawsuit against Grammarly in the Southern District of New York.

The players

Grammarly

An artificial intelligence-powered writing assistant that provides grammar, spelling, and style suggestions.

Superhuman

The parent company of Grammarly.

Julia Angwin

The editor-in-chief of The Markup, a nonprofit news organization, who filed a class action lawsuit against Grammarly.

Peter Romer-Friedman

The lawyer representing Julia Angwin and the class in the lawsuit against Grammarly.

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What they’re saying

“I have worked for decades honing my skills as a writer and editor, and I am distressed to discover that a tech company is selling an imposter version of my hard-earned expertise.”

— Julia Angwin, Editor-in-Chief, The Markup (Wired)

“Legally, we think it's a pretty straightforward case.”

— Peter Romer-Friedman, Lawyer representing Julia Angwin and the class (Wired)

What’s next

The judge in the class action lawsuit will determine if the case can proceed as a class action and set a timeline for the litigation.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing tension between the rights of professionals who have spent years developing their expertise and the ability of tech companies to leverage that expertise for commercial gain without permission. It underscores the need for stronger legal protections around the use of individuals' names, likenesses, and intellectual property by AI systems and large language models.