Consumer Protection

  • November 28, 2023

    'This Is Solvable': Google, Epic Ordered To Midtrial Deal Talk

    A California federal judge on Tuesday ordered top decision-makers at Google and Epic Games to try a second time to reach a settlement in their Play Store antitrust case as the monthlong trial nears its end, saying the fight is "solvable" and comparing their hesitation to a kid eating broccoli.

  • November 28, 2023

    Rent-A-Center To Pay $9M Over 'Abusive' Debt Collection

    Rent-A-Center will pay nearly $9 million to resolve allegations that the company engaged in "abusive" debt collection practices, including filing criminal theft reports against customers who missed rental payments, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office announced Tuesday.

  • November 28, 2023

    CFPB's Chopra Says AI Could Give 'Enormous Control' To Few

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra said Tuesday that he is worried the rise of generative artificial intelligence technology could concentrate "enormous" power within the grasp of a few companies and their top executives.

  • November 28, 2023

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Shopify Consumer's Data Privacy Suit

    The Ninth Circuit in a published opinion on Tuesday upheld a lower court's order dismissing a lawsuit accusing Shopify of collecting shoppers' sensitive information without permission, saying the court lacks jurisdiction since Shopify did not expressly aim its conduct toward California.

  • November 28, 2023

    Hacked Ill. Casino Hit With Suit Over 'Reckless' Data Security

    A casino in Chicago's northwest suburbs failed to encrypt or otherwise adequately safeguard patrons' Social Security numbers, financial account information and other personal data that was compromised in a "massive" August cyberattack, according to a proposed class action filed in Illinois federal court Monday.

  • November 28, 2023

    Zelle User Asks Judge Not To Rethink Trimming Fraud Suit

    A New York federal judge shouldn't reconsider his decision to let a lawsuit proceed against Bank of America over its alleged refusal to reimburse fraud victims, the plaintiff in the suit said, arguing that her claim is still valid.

  • November 28, 2023

    NY Fines Title Insurer $1M Over Cyber Control Deficiencies

    New York's financial services regulator announced Tuesday that First American Title Insurance Co. will pay $1 million for allegedly violating state cybersecurity regulations by failing to implement access controls before a large breach in 2019 exposed customers' personal information.

  • November 28, 2023

    Law Firm Asks 9th Circ. To Curb SEC's Crypto 'Harassment'

    Crypto law firm Hodl Law has asked the Ninth Circuit to clarify that the cryptocurrency ether is not a security in order to dispel "constant public threats and harassment" from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission through public statements and enforcement cases asserting which digital assets are under its purview.

  • November 28, 2023

    NetChoice Seeks Win In Suit Targeting Ark. Social Media Law

    Internet trade group NetChoice LLC is asking a federal judge to permanently block a challenged Arkansas law aimed at limiting minors' access to social media sites for being unconstitutionally vague and violating the First Amendment.

  • November 28, 2023

    FCC To Ease Signing-Up For Rural Health Funding Projects

    At its December meeting, the Federal Communications Commission intends to get the ball rolling on making it easier for rural health care providers to sign up for financial help from the U.S. government and to reduce bureaucratic hurdles in the process.

  • November 28, 2023

    Advocates Worry 988 Hotline Georouting Will Get Delayed

    Mental health advocates are concerned the Federal Communications Commission hasn't set a firm deadline for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline providers to set up georouting to find the location of callers instead of relying only on area codes.

  • November 28, 2023

    Consumer Privacy Rules For AI Floated By Calif. Regulators

    The California Privacy Protection Agency revealed Monday proposed regulations to allow more consumer control over private information that could be used by artificial intelligence, floating the ability to opt out of providing such information and to obtain more information about businesses' use of the technology, in line with state consumer privacy laws.

  • November 28, 2023

    DC Court Skeptical Of Coca-Cola 'Greenwashing' Suit

    The D.C. Court of Appeals reached for — but didn't necessarily find — a limiting principle on Tuesday morning as it heard arguments over whether it should revive a lawsuit accusing Coca-Cola of making misleading statements to consumers about its sustainability efforts in order to "greenwash" its products.

  • November 28, 2023

    Tenant Screener Can Be Liable Under FHA, Feds Tell 2nd Circ.

    A Connecticut federal court was wrong to rule that a tenant background screening company cannot violate the federal Fair Housing Act based on a finding that it does not make rental decisions, the United States has argued in an amicus brief to the Second Circuit.

  • November 28, 2023

    Sens. Question Anesthesia Co.'s 'Monopolistic' Model

    Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal have asked the CEO of U.S. Anesthesia Partners to rethink its "monopolistic business model" and its use of noncompete agreements among doctors.

  • November 28, 2023

    United To 'Aggressively' Push For Low-Cost Fliers, Exec Says

    A United Airlines executive testified Tuesday in the government's challenge to JetBlue's $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit Airlines that his airline intends to "aggressively" compete for the most price-sensitive customers as it expands its fleet with bigger aircraft capable of offering more seats for its bare-bones, basic economy offering. 

  • November 28, 2023

    Law Firm Leaders Cautiously Optimistic Heading Into 2024

    Major U.S. law firms are steadfast in their commitment to the pursuit of further growth despite ongoing economic uncertainty. Here’s what the leaders of four Leaderboard firms have to say about how the legal industry is preparing for next year.

  • November 28, 2023

    The 2023 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard

    Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which first-in-class firms made the list this year.

  • November 28, 2023

    BofA Hit With $12M CFPB Fine Over Mortgage Data Reporting

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Tuesday that it has ordered Bank of America NA to pay a record $12 million fine for allegedly reporting "false" mortgage applicant information to the government going back several years.

  • November 27, 2023

    Zuckerberg Nixed Proposal Aimed At Mental Health, AGs Say

    Meta Platforms Inc. knows its platforms are used by millions of underage children and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally shot down a proposed policy to ban image filters found to be harmful to social media users' mental health, according to a newly unsealed version of states' lawsuit filed last week.

  • November 27, 2023

    Google's Android Monopoly Harms Users, Stanford Prof Says

    A Stanford economics professor took the stand Monday in Epic Games' antitrust suit over Google's Android app store, saying it holds a monopoly on the market for smartphone operating systems and uses anticompetitive tactics to stifle rivals, meaning smartphone users and developers "have suffered as a result."

  • November 27, 2023

    Chicken Cos. Urge Justices To Allow Judgment Sharing Deal

    Several poultry producers have told the U.S. Supreme Court there's no need for the justices to review provisions of their judgment sharing agreement related to a lawsuit accusing the companies of fixing the price of broiler chicken, arguing the deal is legally sound and may soon become moot anyway.

  • November 27, 2023

    FCC Plans To Expand Data Breach Notification Rules

    Sixteen years after data breach notification rules were adopted for telecommunications companies and internet voice call providers, the Federal Communications Commission has plans to expand them.

  • November 27, 2023

    US, UK Unveil Global Agreement For Securing AI Systems

    Cybersecurity officials in the U.S. and U.K. on Monday rolled out first-of-their-kind guidelines, backed by more than a dozen other countries, that are intended to help ensure developers of artificial intelligence systems are building and deploying secure products. 

  • November 27, 2023

    Target's 'Reef-Conscious' Sunscreen Is A Lie, Suit Alleges

    Target was hit with a proposed class action on Monday in Florida federal court accusing the retailer of selling sunscreen that is falsely labeled as containing a "reef-conscious formula" when it actually uses ingredients that are harmful to coral reef ecosystems.

Expert Analysis

  • Forecasting The Impact Of High Court Debit Card Rule Case

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    John Delionado and Aidan Gross at Hunton consider how the U.S. Supreme Court's forthcoming ruling in a retailer's suit challenging a Federal Reserve rule on debit card swipe fees could affect agency regulations both new and old, as well as the businesses that might seek to challenge them.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • FTC Warning Letters Note 5 Mistakes For Influencers To Avoid

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    The Federal Trade Commission recently sent warning letters to two trade associations and 12 health influencers over their social media posts, offering insight into how the agency plans to enforce its updated endorsement guides and highlighting five concerns to keep in mind for marketing campaigns, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.

  • CFPB, DOJ Signal Focus On Fair Lending To Immigrants

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    New joint guidance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Department of Justice effectively broadens the scope of protected classes under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to include immigration status, indicating a significant shift in regulatory scrutiny, say Alex McFall and Leslie Sowers at Husch Blackwell.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Cross-Market Implications In FTC's Anesthesia Complaint

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against a private equity firm's acquisition of anesthesiology practices highlights the controversial issue of cross-market harm in health care provider mergers, and could provide important insights into how a court may view such theories of harm, say Christopher Lau and Dina Older Aguilar at Cornerstone Research.

  • What Cos. Should Know About FTC's Proposed Junk Fee Rule

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    The Federal Trade Commission recently announced a notice of proposed rulemaking targeting junk fees and how businesses may advertise prices to consumers — and since it would give the agency powers to seek monetary penalties against businesses that do not comply, companies should look to get ahead now, say Phyllis Marcus and Nicole Johnson at Hunton Andrews.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Cos. Must Adapt To Calif. Immigration Data Privacy Law

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    California’s recently signed A.B. 947 expands the California Consumer Privacy Act and brings the state in line with other comprehensive privacy laws that address immigration status, meaning companies should make any necessary updates to their processes and disclosures, say Kate Lucente and Matt Dhaiti at DLA Piper.

  • Are CCOs Really In The SEC's Crosshairs?

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Enforcement Director Gurbir Grewal recently gave a speech to address the concerns of chief compliance officers in light of recent enforcement actions taken against them, but CCOs need to understand when to push back against management, quit, or report issues to the board or to regulators, say Brian Rubin and Adam Pollet at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • How The Netherlands Became A Hub For EU Class Actions

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    As countries continue to implement the European Union Collective Redress Directive, the Netherlands — the country with the largest class action docket in the EU — provides a real-world example of what class and mass litigation may eventually look like in the bloc, say lawyers at Faegre Drinker and Houthoff.

  • Total Stay Of CFPB Small Biz Data Rule Is Boon To Lenders

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    The Southern District of Texas’ nationwide halt of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Small Business Lending Rule would end if the CFPB wins a pending U.S. Supreme Court case, but the interim pause allows valuable extra time for financial institutions to plan their compliance strategies, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • How Legal Teams Can Prep For Life Sciences' Tech Revolution

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    The life sciences and health care industries are uniquely positioned to take advantage of new efficiencies created by cloud computing and generative artificial intelligence, but the sensitivity of their data also demands careful navigation of an expanding legislative and regulatory landscape, say Kristi Gedid, Zack Laplante and Lisa LaMotta at Ernst & Young.

  • Key Takeaways From CFPB's Proposed Data-Sharing Rules

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recently announced proposed rule for regulating personal financial data rights sheds light on the bureau's stance regarding practices like screen-scraping and may presage further activity that could involve more concrete enforcement actions, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Transparency And Explainability Are Critical To AI Compliance

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    Although there is not yet a comprehensive law governing artificial intelligence, regulators have tools to hold businesses accountable, and companies need to focus on ensuring that consumers and key stakeholders understand how their AI systems operate and make decisions, say Chanley Howell and Lauren Hudon at Foley & Lardner.

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