Consumers Affected
500
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced an investigation into Altice Optimum based on nearly 500 consumer complaints regarding slow internet speeds, hidden fees, and poor customer service. The investigation, launched under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, seeks records dating back to January 2017 to determine potential violations. This follows a prior $60 million settlement with Frontier Communications for similar consumer protection issues.
In-house legal teams should prioritize reviewing all customer-facing service agreements, including residential internet service contracts and terms of service. Specific clauses to scrutinize are: (1) Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and speed guarantee clauses to ensure advertised speeds (e.g., 300/400 Mbps) are contractually guaranteed with clear remedies for failure; (2) Fee disclosure and billing transparency sections to identify and eliminate ambiguous or undisclosed fees like the 'Network Enhancement Fee'; (3) Customer service and technical support commitments, including response time guarantees; and (4) Termination provisions related to service failures. Contracts may need revision to include measurable performance metrics, explicit fee schedules, and clear consumer remedies for non-compliance, aligning with state unfair trade practices standards.
Entity
Altice Optimum
Industry
Telecommunications$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.