On January 16, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed S332 (the act), making New Jersey the first state in 2024 to enact a comprehensive privacy law. Several other states are currently considering similar comprehensive...more
1/26/2024
/ Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Information Technology ,
New Jersey ,
Personal Data ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Data Privacy Laws
On January 12, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell announced a settlement with Grubhub Holdings Inc. and Grubhub, Inc., (Grubhub) for repeatedly violating a statutory limit on the fees that third-party...more
1/25/2024
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
GrubHub ,
Hidden Fees ,
Price Gouging ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Summary Judgment
North Carolina Attorney General (AG) Josh Stein led a bipartisan effort urging the federal government to impose stricter regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in telemarketing. The collective push involved 26...more
1/25/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
FCC ,
Machine Learning ,
Notice of Inquiry ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Robocalling ,
State Attorneys General ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Text Messages ,
Written Consent
On January 15, Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson filed a complaint in King County Superior Court, seeking to block the merger of The Kroger Co. (Kroger) with its supermarket competitor, Albertsons Companies, Inc....more
1/24/2024
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Blocked Mergers ,
Competition ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Injunctions ,
Kroger ,
Merger Controls ,
Monopolization ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Supermarkets ,
Washington
Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson announced that he has proposed legislation — H.B. 2072/S.B. 5994 — to enhance the state’s maximum penalty for antitrust violations like price fixing and collusion....more
Illinois Attorney General (AG) Kwame Raoul recently issued a consumer alert to Illinois consumers regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by phone scammers. According to the alert, phone scammers are regularly...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has drawn criticism for heavily redacting a recommendation letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) concerning the rescheduling of cannabis. HHS said the...more
While the federal government’s campaign against hidden “junk” fees intensifies, state attorneys general (AGs) have long been contesting concealed costs as unfair or deceptive — especially in the absence of sufficient...more
12/29/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Convenience Fees ,
False Advertising ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Goods or Services ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Processing Fees ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 28, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Campbell reached an $8.75 million settlement with Rent-A-Center (RAC), the nation’s largest rent-to-own company specializing in consumer goods leases. The settlement aimed...more
Oregon Attorney General (AG) Ellen Rosenblum is taking over the helm of a crucial national organization that supports the important work of AGs across America. Rosenblum was recently elected president of the National...more
Since 1967, the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public with the right to access records or information from any federal agency, except those records protected under legal exemptions. Each state has...more
On the heels of its recent lawsuit filed against MC Solar, Florida Attorney General (AG) Ashley Moody filed two additional lawsuits against Vision Solar and SetUp My Solar for allegedly deceiving Floridians in violation of...more
12/14/2023
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Clean Energy ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Florida ,
Green Infrastructure ,
Installation Services ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Farm ,
Solar Panels ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 29, Ohio Attorney General (AG) Dave Yost and Governor Mark DeWine announced a proposed $110 million settlement with Du Pont De Nemours and Co. and The Chemours Company over alleged chemical contamination from...more
12/14/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
Chemical Spills ,
Chemicals ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
DuPont ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Pollution Control ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Water Pollution
It is indeed a tangled regulatory web woven to potentially trap an organization in the wake of a data incident. Navigating this web can involve significant resources, time, and stress. As we discussed in part two of this...more
12/13/2023
/ Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Personal Data ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State Attorneys General
The principle of open government is foundational to a healthy democracy, and the availability of government records upon request from the public is one of its chief cornerstones. In the U.S., the primary mechanism by which...more
12/13/2023
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
FOIA ,
Government Agencies ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Public Interest ,
Public Records ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Attorneys General ,
Transparency
A federal judge has denied the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority‘s attempt to move an environmental lawsuit to federal court to be filed by Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel, alleging that per- and...more
12/12/2023
/ Airlines ,
Airports ,
Aviation Industry ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Forum ,
Natural Resources ,
PFAS ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General
Rhode Island Attorney General (AG) Peter F. Neronha and his office filed a motion on November 30, to amend and supplement their complaint against Smart Green Solar, LLC (Smart Green) and its CEO, Jasjit Gotra, for allegedly...more
Republican attorneys general (AGs) from 19 states, led by Utah AG Sean D. Reyes, filed an amicus brief urging the Fifth Circuit to rehear a case after a panel of judges declined to entertain a lawsuit challenging diversity...more
12/7/2023
/ Amicus Briefs ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equal Protection ,
Minorities ,
Nasdaq ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unconstitutional Condition
On November 22, Wisconsin Attorney General (AG) Josh Kaul announced that his office settled a civil enforcement action against Paul Bugar Trucking, Inc. and its owner, Paul J. Bugar. Kaul alleged the defendants violated a...more
Similar to other state consumer data protection acts enacted over the past two years, the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) allows Colorado consumers to opt out of the sale of personal data and the processing of such data for...more
12/5/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Colorado ,
Comment Period ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Opt-Outs ,
Personal Data ,
Public Comment ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Data Privacy Laws
Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Campbell recently announced a number of citations against Quick Temp., Inc. (the company), its owner, and its manager, for alleged wage, sick time, and records violations....more
On November 20, Delaware Attorney General (AG) Kathy Jennings, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 11 other states, announced a settlement in excess of $30 million with Prehired LLC and affiliated...more
11/30/2023
/ Chapter 11 ,
Consumer Bankruptcy ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Delaware ,
FDCPA ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Income Share Agreements ,
Regulation Z ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Statutory Violations ,
Stipulated Judgment ,
Student Loans ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
In the latest episode of Regulatory Oversight, Gene Fishel and Mike Lafleur welcome Pat Moore and Jared Rinehimer from the Massachusetts Attorney General's (AG) Office to discuss online sports wagering. They cover the...more
On November 3, Colorado Attorney General (AG) Phil Weiser announced that his office reached a settlement with Touchstone Partners, Inc. (Touchstone), a noted debt management company. The AG’s allegations were that Touchstone...more
11/17/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Collectors ,
Debt Management Companies ,
Debtors ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Popular ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General
On November 7, Virginia Attorney General (AG) Jason Miyares reminded suppliers that the current state of emergency caused by wildfires triggered Virginia’s anti-price gouging statutes, which prohibit businesses from raising...more
11/15/2023
/ Goods or Services ,
Price Gouging ,
Price Inflation ,
Public Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
State Attorneys General ,
State of Emergency ,
Suppliers ,
Virginia ,
Wildfires