A coalition of 44 attorneys general, led by Connecticut AG William Tong, urged TikTok and Snapchat to implement parental control apps to help parents monitor their children's social media usage and protect them from online harms such as bullying, self-harm, and exposure to inappropriate content. The attorneys general highlighted research showing high rates of teens encountering nudity, drug-related content, violence, and bullying on these platforms. They argue that parental control apps can alert parents to dangerous situations and save lives.
In-house legal teams should review Terms of Service, Privacy Policies, and any Child Safety Addendums or Data Processing Addendums with minor users. Focus on clauses governing user safety features, parental control capabilities, age verification methods, content moderation policies for harmful material (bullying, self-harm, nudity), data collection from minors, and third-party app integrations. Potential changes include mandating integrated parental control options (e.g., activity monitoring, content filtering), enhancing age assurance systems, improving transparency reporting on harmful content exposure, and establishing clear, accessible reporting pathways for minors and parents.
Entity
TikTok and Snapchat
Also known as: TikTok, Snapchat
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2022-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-urges-tik-tok-and-snapchat-to-give-parents-more-control
naag parental control final letter.pdf?rev=28c5376cbd104accb
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2021/naag---parental-control-final-letter.pdf?rev=28c5376cbd104accbfbc13a75ea32e7a&hash=9D7358D752C5AEE5E6F5F17B53B000FE
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
$2.0M
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of four other states and the FTC sued Zillow and Redfin after Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to shut down its multifamily rental advertising business and transfer clients to Zillow. The settlement requires the companies to restore competition, with Redfin rebuilding its apartment advertising business, and pay $2 million to the coalition.
Attorney General William Tong sent a letter to the Connecticut Insurance Department urging rejection of double-digit rate increases sought by Anthem, ConnectiCare, and UnitedHealthcare for individual and small group health insurance plans covering about 220,000 people. The letter argues the rates exceed inflationary measures and criticizes the carriers for failing to control costs and for poor claims system management, particularly ConnectiCare's transition to Molina Healthcare.
$275K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $275,000 settlement with TaxAct, an online tax preparation company, over allegations that between January 2018 and December 2022, TaxAct improperly disclosed detailed customer financial information to Meta and Google through third-party tracking technologies without notifying taxpayers. The settlement requires TaxAct to pay $275,000 and implement new third-party tracking compliance measures, including a review committee, written policies, a tag monitoring system, and two independent third-party audits.
$4.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and the Federal Trade Commission announced a $4 million settlement with Manchester City Nissan (Chase Nissan LLC) resolving allegations that the dealership double-charged for 'certified pre-owned' vehicles and collected unauthorized junk fees. The settlement requires payment for consumer redress, prohibits misrepresentations, mandates clear disclosure of the maximum total price, and requires express informed consent for all charges.
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and DHS to block demands for the personal information of 17 million CDL drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data transfer.
Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 10 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a new OCC rule that preempts state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on homeowners' mortgage escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC ignored federal court decisions and bypassed safeguards, and seeks to block the rule.