---
title: "Perplexity sued for cutting Deep Research from 500 queries a day to 20 a month"
description: "A flat $20 subscription can cover intelligence rented from other companies' models only if the expensive runs are rationed, and a November 12 class action says Perplexity never told subscribers that. Nvidia is reported in talks to invest above $30 billion, about 40 times sales, into the company doing the rationing."
publisher: "The Inference"
section: "Applications"
published: 2026-11-13T15:11:47.471Z
modified: 2026-11-13T15:11:47.471Z
canonical: https://theinference.org/article/perplexity-sued-for-cutting-deep-research-from-500-queries-a-day-to-20-a-month
language: en
keywords: "Perplexity, Artificial Intelligence, Lawsuits, AI Subscriptions"
---

# Perplexity sued for cutting Deep Research from 500 queries a day to 20 a month

> A flat $20 subscription can cover intelligence rented from other companies' models only if the expensive runs are rationed, and a November 12 class action says Perplexity never told subscribers that. Nvidia is reported in talks to invest above $30 billion, about 40 times sales, into the company doing the rationing.

On November 12 a federal class action landed on [Perplexity](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/perplexity) AI, the AI search and answer startup, in San Francisco, on behalf of subscribers who say they paid for 500 Deep Research queries a day and got about 20 a month [1]. Plaintiff Ntsikelelo Bonga, a Perplexity Pro subscriber, says the product stopped working partway through a period he had already paid for [1].

[The suit, Bonga v. Perplexity AI, number 3:26-cv-12673](https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/perplexity-ai-sued-over-undisclosed-usage-caps-on-paid-subscription-features/) in the Northern District of California, says Perplexity built its Pro base on the 500-a-day pitch, then cut Deep Research, a Pro research feature, to roughly 20 a month in February 2026 without telling subscribers [1].

## The cap is where the margin lives

The complaint attacks disclosure; the economics explain why. Perplexity rents its intelligence: Computer, its agent product launched the month of the cut, routes each task to one of 19 different models it does not own [2]. Annualized revenue rose from under $250 million in January to more than $750 million by August, the technology news outlet The Information reported [2].

A flat $20 Pro plan, or $200 for Max with its [always-on Teammates agents](https://www.briefia.fr/en/article/perplexity-launches-teammates-persistent-agents-at-200), covers rented compute only if the expensive runs are rationed [1][3]. Bonga alleges Perplexity meters browser-agent tasks, advanced models and Computer behind weekly limits and credit balances it refuses to disclose, with no refunds after 24 hours on monthly plans and 72 on annual [1].

## One week, two fronts: a price cut and a lost law firm

On November 10 Perplexity put Google's new Gemini 4 Carbon into Computer; [Google](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/alphabet) set the price at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output, [an introductory rate that doubles on November 30](https://www.ainvest.com/news/google-commoditizing-ai-perplexity-cashing-2611/) [2]. Every lab price cut widens the spread a router keeps, so long as the meter stays invisible.

The same week, Perplexity [dropped Proskauer Rose from Reddit's data-scraping suit](https://www.law360.com/articles/2549305/proskauer-won-t-rep-perplexity-in-reddit-data-scraping-suit) after [Reddit](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/reddit) moved on October 9 to disqualify the firm over its past work for Reddit; Proskauer denies any conflict [4][5]. Perplexity now answers Reddit's copyright claims in New York and its own subscribers' consumer-fraud claims in California at once [1][5]. The Inference [reported in September](https://theinference.org/article/amazon-says-perplexity-s-app-contradicted-what-its-lawyers-told-a-federal-appeals-court) that [Amazon](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/amazon) told a federal appeals court Perplexity's app contradicted what its lawyers had said.

| Matter | Forum | What is claimed | Where it stands |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bonga v. Perplexity AI, 3:26-cv-12673 | Northern District of California | Pro subscribers were sold 500 Deep Research queries a day and got about 20 a month, with the caps and credit balances undisclosed | Filed November 12, 2026 |
| Reddit's data-scraping suit | New York | Reddit moved on October 9 to disqualify Proskauer Rose over its past work for Reddit; the firm denies a conflict | Proskauer is off the case for Perplexity |
| Amazon's account of the app | A federal appeals court | Amazon says Perplexity's app contradicted what its lawyers told the court | Reported in September 2026 |

*Three proceedings in three forums, each with its own question: whether the caps were disclosed, whether Perplexity's law firm had a conflict, and what its app told a federal court.*

## The round meets the courtroom

A complaint is a claim, not a finding, and Perplexity denies Reddit's allegations [5]. Rationing is not unique to it: [SpaceX](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/spacex) tightened Grok Bots usage limits after heavy use [3]. [Nvidia](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/nvidia) is reported in talks to join a round [valuing Perplexity above $30 billion](https://theinference.org/article/perplexity-chases-30-billion-as-the-dow-jones-case-clears-expert-discovery-and-heads-to-a-jury), roughly 40 times sales, and chief executive Aravind Srinivas has said the company will list in 2028 [2][6][7].

Whoever signs that round buys the litigation and the disclosure risk. If the cap schedule is forced open, the runs now rationed become compute bills collected by the model owners, Google, [Anthropic](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/anthropic) and [OpenAI](https://theinference.org/markets/companies/openai) [2].

The public-market read arrives on November 18, when Anthropic, the AI lab, [prices 825 million shares at $70 to $78 for its Nasdaq debut](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/10/anthropic-sets-price-range-of-70-to-78-in-upcoming-ipo.html), with trading set to start the next day [8]. The markup on other people's models stays invisible only as long as the meter does.

## Takeaway

A $20 Pro plan covers models Perplexity rents only if the expensive runs are rationed, and the November 12 class action says subscribers were never told, while Nvidia is reported to be weighing a $30 billion valuation.

## Sources

1. [Top Class Actions, 'Perplexity AI Sued Over Undisclosed Usage Caps on Paid Subscription Features', 12 November 2026](https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/perplexity-ai-sued-over-undisclosed-usage-caps-on-paid-subscription-features/)
2. [AInvest, 'Google is commoditizing AI - and Perplexity is the one cashing in', 13 November 2026](https://www.ainvest.com/news/google-commoditizing-ai-perplexity-cashing-2611/)
3. [Brief IA, 'Perplexity Launches Teammates, Persistent Agents at $200', 6 November 2026](https://www.briefia.fr/en/article/perplexity-launches-teammates-persistent-agents-at-200)
4. [Law360, 'Proskauer Won't Rep Perplexity In Reddit Data-Scraping Suit', 12 November 2026](https://www.law360.com/articles/2549305/proskauer-won-t-rep-perplexity-in-reddit-data-scraping-suit)
5. [The Straits Times (Reuters), 'Reddit and Perplexity AI clash over law firm's role in data-scraping case', 13 October 2026](https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/reddit-and-perplexity-ai-clash-over-law-firms-role-in-data-scraping-case)
6. [PYMNTS, 'Nvidia Considers Backing Perplexity at $30 Billion Valuation', 24 August 2026](https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/nvidia-considers-backing-perplexity-30-billion-dollar-valuation/)
7. [The Hindu BusinessLine (Reuters), 'Nvidia discusses Perplexity investment at $30 billion-plus valuation', 24 August 2026](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/nvidia-discusses-perplexity-investment-at-30-billion-plus-valuation/article71383142.ece)
8. [CNBC, 'Anthropic sets IPO price range of $70 to $78, looks to start trading Nov. 19, sources say', 10 November 2026](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/10/anthropic-sets-price-range-of-70-to-78-in-upcoming-ipo.html)


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Perplexity sued for cutting Deep Research from 500 queries a day to 20 a month — The Inference. Canonical: https://theinference.org/article/perplexity-sued-for-cutting-deep-research-from-500-queries-a-day-to-20-a-month