Consumers Affected
40,000,000
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general and Kentucky in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) challenging its illegal demand for personally identifiable information of over 40 million SNAP recipients. The coalition alleges the USDA’s requirement that states turn over SNAP recipients’ Social Security numbers, addresses, and immigration statuses violates federal and state laws prohibiting disclosure of SNAP data for non-program purposes, and that the data will be shared across federal agencies for unauthorized immigration enforcement. The coalition seeks a declaratory judgment declaring the policy illegal and a nationwide injunction preventing enforcement of the data demand.
The coalition seeks a declaratory judgment declaring the USDA’s SNAP data demand policy illegal, a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the policy, and an order prohibiting the administration from disclosing SNAP recipient data to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for any purpose other than SNAP administration.
In-house legal teams should review all contracts with federal or state agencies involving personal data sharing, particularly for public assistance programs like SNAP, to ensure strict data use restrictions limiting disclosure to program purposes only. Clauses related to data sharing with third agencies, purposes of data use, and prohibitions on sharing for immigration or non-program law enforcement purposes should be added or updated. Additionally, review any data sharing agreements with USDA or other federal agencies to ensure compliance with federal and state SNAP data protection laws, and include provisions requiring immediate notice of unauthorized data demands.
Entity
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-takes-action-protect-sensitive-personal-information-tens
state of california et al v united states department of agri
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/court-filings/state-of-california-et-al-v-united-states-department-of-agriculture-complaint-2025.pdf
California Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/privacy-enforcement-actions
"Attorney General James Takes Action to Protect Sensitive Personal Information of Tens of Millions of People"
"July 28, 2025"
"California"
"filed a lawsuit"
"United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)"
"this highly sensitive data, which includes home addresses, Social Security numbers, recent locations, immigration statuses, and more, will likely be shared across federal agencies and used for immigration enforcement, in violation of the law"
A coalition of 21 state attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James obtained a temporary restraining order from the District Court for the Northern District of California blocking the USDA from demanding personally identifiable information of all SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers, home addresses, and immigration statuses. The lawsuit argued that the USDA’s demand violated federal and state laws prohibiting disclosure of SNAP data except in narrow circumstances, and that the data would be used for immigration enforcement against recipients. The order also prohibits the USDA from withholding SNAP funding from plaintiff states that refuse to comply with the data demand.
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.