Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over policy changes by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that would allow broad sharing of TANF recipients' sensitive personal data across federal agencies and potentially private organizations. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause, seeking to block the policy.
The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring ACF's policy illegal and preventing it from being implemented.
In-house legal teams should review any contracts with government agencies, particularly those involving the handling of sensitive personal data of benefit recipients. They should examine data sharing clauses to ensure they include strict limitations on secondary use, require consent or legal basis for sharing, and incorporate data minimization principles. Additionally, contracts should include provisions for compliance with federal laws like the Administrative Procedure Act and any applicable privacy regulations, and should address notification requirements if data is shared with other agencies or third parties. Teams should also review subcontractor agreements to ensure downstream data sharing is similarly restricted.
Entity
Administration for Children and Families
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-sues-to-protect-personal-information-of-connecticut-residents
new york v acf complaint filed.pdf?rev=95733480673e48ba8e4d2
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2026/new-york-v-acf---complaint---filed.pdf?rev=95733480673e48ba8e4d24dd0ba9aa5f&hash=6BCEC67CF1B68239187FE66A762B075B
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)"
"violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution"
"illegally shared across the federal government"
"would give the administration broad access to the sensitive private information of millions of families"
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined a coalition of 23 states and DC in suing the Trump Administration over policy changes by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that would allow broad sharing of TANF recipients' sensitive personal data with other federal agencies, including ICE. The lawsuit argues the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause, and seeks to block its implementation.
$694.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined 40 other state attorneys general in a settlement with Credit Acceptance Corporation (CAC), one of the nation's largest subprime auto lenders, resolving allegations that CAC originated loans it knew or should have known consumers could not afford and encouraged or failed to prevent dealers from 'packing' CAC loans with unwanted Vehicle Service Contract (VSC) and GAP products. The settlement, announced September 17, 2026 and effective November 2, 2026, directs $694 million in cash restitution and debt relief to consumers, plus an additional $15 million to the states, and imposes injunctive lending reforms. Note: this is a consumer-protection/lending enforcement action rather than a data privacy matter; the violation categories are best-fit mappings to the available taxonomy.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued an advisory that newly enacted privacy laws take effect October 1, 2026, including Public Act 26-64 (SB4), which amends the Connecticut Data Privacy Act, and Public Act 26-15 (SB5), which established the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act (CART Act). The new laws regulate surveillance pricing, facial recognition technology, genetic data collected by direct-to-consumer testing companies, a ban on the sale of precise geolocation data, a data broker registry, AI use in employment decisions, and chatbots offered to children. No enforcement action was taken; this is prospective guidance alerting consumers and businesses to new rights and compliance requirements.
$384.2M
Connecticut joined 39 other states and the federal government in a $384 million False Claims Act settlement with Abbott Laboratories over allegations that the company failed to manufacture powder infant formula and nutritional therapy products in compliance with federal and state requirements at its Sturgis, Michigan, and Casa Grande, Arizona facilities. Abbott allegedly manufactured formula in conditions that risked microorganism contamination and failed to disclose contamination test results to the FDA during 2019 and 2022 inspections. The settlement resolves claims that Abbott caused false claims to be submitted to the WIC program and state Medicaid programs between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 16 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to the U.S. Senate Banking Committee opposing the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, warning it would preempt state authority to protect investors from cryptocurrency fraud and scams. The coalition urges Congress to preserve state enforcement, registration, and federal-state cooperation roles over digital assets. This is a legislative advocacy action, not an enforcement action — no entity was charged, no violations were found, and no penalty was imposed.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a civil investigative demand into MediaLab.AI Inc., owner of the Kik Messenger app, over lax age assurance practices, content moderation, and child safety failures that advocates have dubbed a "predator's paradise." The action follows a July 2025 notice of violation under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act for privacy notice deficiencies and processing sensitive data — including health, biometric, and precise geolocation data — without proper consent, which the company has only partially addressed. The new investigation seeks records related to practices that may constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the CTDPA and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. No fine has been imposed to date.