Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed an expanded complaint against Altice/Optimum Online for deceptive advertising and hidden 'Network Enhancement' fees that collected at least $39.1 million from consumers. The company allegedly misled customers with 'price for life' deals while burying fees in fine print and targeting Spanish speakers with English-only disclosures. The complaint seeks penalties and disgorgement under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In-house legal teams should review vendor and customer contracts for clauses that allow hidden fees or undisclosed charges. Ensure all fees are transparently disclosed upfront in advertisements and agreements, with special attention to multilingual marketing materials to avoid language-based deception. Verify compliance with state consumer protection laws regarding unfair and deceptive practices, and update contract terms to prevent similar bait-and-switch tactics.
Entity
Altice/Optimum Online
Also known as: Altice
Industry
TelecommunicationsOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2025-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-files-expanded-complaint-against-altice
altice substitute complaint re mtsfinalredacted 002.pdf?rev=
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2025/altice-substitute-complaint-re-mtsfinalredacted-002.pdf?rev=e920ca01304d44bbb87a761e1255ac77&hash=1DE865322FE884B674778C1CC596A3FF
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"Altice/Optimum Online"
"Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act"
"deceptive advertisements intentionally misled Spanish speakers and unlawfully reaped at least $39.1 million in bait-and-switch “Network Enhancement” junk fees"
$29.6M
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined a coalition of 48 states and territories in a $29.6 million settlement with Glenmark, a generic drug manufacturer, for allegedly conspiring to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrain trade for numerous generic prescription drugs. The settlement includes cooperation in ongoing litigations and internal reforms to ensure fair competition.
$29.6M
Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of 48 states and territories in a $29.6 million settlement with Glenmark, a generic drug manufacturer, to resolve allegations of a widespread conspiracy to artificially inflate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade for numerous generic prescription drugs. The settlement includes cooperation from Glenmark in ongoing multistate litigations and internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws.
$18.0M
Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of 42 attorneys general in a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe, resolving allegations from a 2023 data breach that compromised the genetic data of 6.9 million customers. The settlement includes $150 million in allowed claims, with $18 million paid from bankruptcy funds, and requires enhanced data security measures for the new entity holding the data.
Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in suing to block the $110 billion acquisition 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 theatrical film distribution and basic cable television licensing, which would harm consumers through higher prices and reduced quality.
Attorney General William Tong and 48 other attorneys general submitted comments to the FCC urging stronger rules to prevent scammers from accessing legitimate telephone numbers for illegal robocalls. The coalition is responding to the FCC's proposed rules and asks for measures such as stronger certification, reporting, and prohibitions on number cycling.
$45.0M
Attorney General Tong announced a $45 million multistate settlement with Block, Inc., the company behind Cash App, for misleading consumers about the safety of the platform, failing to protect users from fraud, and not providing promised fraud protection and resolution services. The settlement requires Block to implement major reforms including real customer support, transparent communications, and security commitments, and reaffirms Block's commitment to distribute between $75 million and $120 million to compensate consumers as part of a separate CFPB settlement.