Fizz, the popular anonymous social app, has taken legal action against its rival Sidechat, alleging unfair competition practices and a range of abuses. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Court on October 6, 2023, accuses Sidechat of various misconducts, including attempts to disrupt Fizz’s launches, spreading false rumors about Fizz having hackers, trademark infringements, and deceptive acquisition of launch strategies information.
Key Takeaway
Fizz has filed a lawsuit against Sidechat, alleging unfair competition practices and various misconducts. The legal action highlights the intense competition in the anonymous social app market, with both Fizz and Sidechat vying for dominance on college campuses.
Claims of Unfair Tactics
Fizz claims that Sidechat has engaged in several unfair tactics to gain an advantage over them in the college campus market. According to Fizz, when they launched at Colgate University in January 2023, Sidechat set up a competing station near the dining hall on the same day. A Sidechat ambassador allegedly chanted false claims about Fizz having hackers and spreading rumors that Fizz would compromise student accounts and data.
Fizz also alleges that Sidechat’s co-founder impersonated a student at Northwestern University to gather information about Fizz’s launch strategies. By infiltrating a GroupMe chat for that community, the co-founder solicited information from Fizz’s COO and co-founder under a fake name. Screenshots of these communications were included in the court filing, revealing the accidentally disclosed real name of the Sidechat co-founder.
Furthermore, Fizz claims that Sidechat’s marketing campaigns infringe on their trademark, a stylized bee, and involve spreading misinformation. Fizz also accuses Sidechat of using its ambassadors to falsely report Fizz’s Instagram account as spam, leading to Fizz being temporarily blocked on Instagram on its launch day at UC Berkeley.
Fizz’s Efforts to Address the Issue
Prior to filing the lawsuit, Fizz attempted to address its concerns with Sidechat by sending multiple cease-and-desist letters to its outside counsel. However, Fizz claims that it did not receive a substantive response from Sidechat. Fizz’s counsel did communicate with Sidechat’s counsel about the complaint but was met with an unsatisfactory outcome.
Implications for Fizz and Sidechat
Fizz’s decision to take legal action against Sidechat highlights the fierce competition between these two anonymous social apps. With Fizz gaining traction at over 80 college campuses, Sidechat seems to have resorted to aggressive tactics to maintain its market share.
Meanwhile, Sidechat’s attempts to acquire rival app Yik Yak have faced backlash from users who are unhappy with the changes to the social network. This adds to the challenges faced by Sidechat in the midst of the legal battle with Fizz.
