In March 2025, competitor Rippling filed suit alleging Deel orchestrated corporate espionage by planting a spy who accessed Rippling's systems, searching "Deel" 23 times daily over four months to steal customer data, pricing information, and trade secrets. The spy allegedly fled when confronted with a court order. Deel denied the allegations and filed a counter-suit. The Justice Department opened an investigation into the claims in 2026. The case has been called "the most significant corporate espionage case this century."