Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a multi-state coalition urging Congress to allow state attorneys general to enforce airline consumer protections, citing thousands of complaints about refunds, cancellations, and poor customer service, with airlines often citing federal preemption to avoid state intervention. Examples include American Airlines refusing refunds during the pandemic, highlighting the need for stronger penalties and enforcement.
In-house legal teams should review customer-facing agreements such as ticket purchase terms, conditions of carriage, and service contracts for clauses related to refunds, cancellations, and dispute resolution. Specifically, examine refund policy language for clarity and timeliness, cancellation terms for fairness, and any federal preemption clauses that might limit state enforcement. Also review enforcement mechanisms and service level commitments. Consider amending contracts to include explicit state attorney general enforcement rights, clearer refund procedures, and limitations on preemption defenses to align with proposed passenger bill of rights and stronger consumer protections.
Entity
American Airlines
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2022-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-fights-to-protect-airline-customers
naag policy letter airline accountability and increased cons
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2022/naag-policy-letter---airline-accountability-and-increased-consumer-protection-final_38-ags.pdf?rev=b88c82dd82894045a472352700058da8&hash=670E39F23C53D05C89C73FBE5EAAEC69
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
$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.