Penalty Amount
$25,000,000
Comcast disclosed personal information of approximately 75,000 customers who had paid for unlisted VOIP phone service. The settlement includes a $25 million penalty and $8 million in restitution, along with a permanent injunction requiring improved privacy practices and customer disclosures.
Comcast must pay $25 million in penalties and $8 million in restitution to affected customers, implement a permanent injunction to improve handling of customer complaints and vendor restrictions, provide easy-to-read disclosure forms, and refund fees paid for unlisted service.
In-house legal teams should review all customer and vendor agreements, especially those related to unlisted VOIP phone services, to ensure robust data privacy protections. Focus on clauses governing data sharing, customer consent for personal information disclosure, and integration of privacy practices. Specific reviews include data processing addendums for vendors, service agreements for unlisted features, and confidentiality provisions. Changes may be needed to explicitly prohibit unauthorized disclosure of unlisted customer data, require opt-in consent for any data sharing, implement clear breach notification procedures for data incidents, and incorporate terms for restitution and permanent injunction compliance to align with settlement requirements.
Entity
Comcast
Industry
TelecommunicationsOfficial Press Release
Comcast final judgment and permanent injunction
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press_releases/Comcast%20final%20judgment%20and%20permanent%20injunction.pdf
People of CA v Comcast complaint RG15786197 Alameda Superior
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press_releases/People%20of%20CA%20v%20Comcast%20complaint%20RG15786197%20Alameda%20Superior.pdf
California Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/privacy-enforcement-actions
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by Colorado AG Phil Weiser, obtained a temporary restraining order from a federal court in California to halt the proposed $110 billion merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. by Paramount Skydance Corporation. The lawsuit alleges the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by substantially lessening competition in film distribution, anticipated blockbuster film distribution, and licensing cable TV channels.
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) joined a coalition of 18 Attorneys General and state agencies in opposing the proposed SECURE Data Act, a federal privacy bill that would preempt stronger state privacy laws like the CCPA. The coalition argues the bill would weaken consumer privacy protections, limit enforcement remedies, and undermine California's Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP).
$12.8M
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with multiple district attorneys and the California Privacy Protection Agency, announced a $12.75 million settlement with General Motors for illegally selling hundreds of thousands of Californians' location and driving data to data brokers Verisk and LexisNexis without notice or consent. The settlement includes the largest CCPA penalty to date, a five-year ban on selling driving data to consumer reporting agencies, and requirements to delete retained data and implement a robust privacy program.
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board voted to support two bills (AB 1542 and SB 1106) and took a 'support if amended' position on a third bill (AB 883). These bills aim to strengthen privacy protections by expanding sensitive data protections, improving deletion rights under the Delete Act, and providing expedited deletion for elected officials and judges.
The California Privacy Protection Agency sent a letter to Congress opposing the SECURE Data Act, a federal bill that would preempt state privacy laws like the CCPA and Delete Act. The letter argues the bill would eliminate rights for 40 million Californians, including the DROP platform and opt-out preference signal requirements, and urges Congress to set a floor rather than a ceiling on privacy protections.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by attorneys general from seven other states, filed a lawsuit to block the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. The lawsuit alleges the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by reducing competition in local TV markets, leading to higher prices, less local news, and job losses.