Privacy and consumer protection enforcement actions against media & entertainment companies.
17
Total Actions
$25.1M
Total Fines
Antitrust enforcement action where Oregon AG filed a lawsuit to block the $6.2 billion merger of Nexstar and Tegna, alleging it violates Clayton Act Section 7 by substantially lessening competition in broadcasting, which could harm local news and raise consumer prices.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by attorneys general from seven other states, filed a lawsuit to block the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. The lawsuit alleges the merger violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act by reducing competition in local TV markets, leading to higher prices, less local news, and job losses.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of state attorneys general announced they will continue their antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster after the U.S. Department of Justice settled the case. The states aim to hold Live Nation accountable for anticompetitive conduct that harms consumers, artists, and venues in the live music industry.
The California Attorney General settled with The Walt Disney Company for $2.75 million over CCPA violations. Disney's opt-out processes failed to stop the sale or sharing of consumer data across all devices and services associated with accounts, requiring consumers to navigate cumbersome methods. Disney must pay the penalty and implement comprehensive opt-out mechanisms.
$2.8M
The FTC settled with Disney for violating the COPPA Rule by mislabeling videos on YouTube, which allowed the collection of children's personal data without parental consent. Disney must pay a $10 million civil penalty and implement measures to ensure proper video labeling and compliance with COPPA.
$10.0M
California Attorney General Rob Bonta settled with Sling TV for $530,000 over CCPA violations. Sling TV failed to provide an easy-to-use opt-out mechanism for the sale of personal information and lacked adequate privacy protections for children's data. The settlement requires Sling TV to implement changes to ensure CCPA compliance, including improved opt-out processes and children's privacy safeguards.
$530K
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed complaints against multiple pornography websites for failing to implement age verification as required by Florida law, allowing children access to harmful material. The law mandates age verification for sites with pornographic content harmful to minors. The complaints seek injunctions, compliance, and civil penalties.
The FTC alleges that Disney violated COPPA by failing to properly label children-directed videos on YouTube as 'Made for Kids,' allowing the collection of personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. Disney will pay a $10 million civil penalty and must implement a program to ensure accurate video designations, potentially incorporating age assurance technologies.
$10.0M
The FTC released a statement by Chairman Ferguson, joined by Commissioners Holyoak and Meador, regarding the enforcement action against Disney Worldwide Services for alleged violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The statement addresses the case involving children's privacy protections.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against multiple online pornography websites for violating HB 3, which requires age verification to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. The companies, including XVideos.com and XNXX.com, have failed to implement age verification since the law took effect on January 1, 2025. The lawsuit seeks to enforce HB 3 and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act to protect children from exposure to explicit material.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against multiple online pornography websites for violating HB 3 by not implementing age verification to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. The companies have ignored prior warnings and are accused of unfair business practices. The suit seeks to compel compliance with state law.
Connecticut Attorney General settled with Capulet Entertainment over the failed Capulet Fest 2024, which was abruptly relocated and partially cancelled, leaving ticketholders without refunds. The settlement provides up to $50,000 in consumer refunds and imposes future requirements including performance bonds and contractor commitments.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $1.55 million settlement with Healthline Media LLC for CCPA violations. Healthline failed to honor opt-out requests, shared consumer data including health-related article titles with third parties, and used deceptive privacy practices. The settlement includes injunctive relief and a compliance program.
$1.6M
The Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring pornography websites to implement age-verification measures to protect children from explicit content. Attorney General Ken Paxton is enforcing the law with fines for violations and has sued Aylo Global Entertainment for non-compliance.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defended House Bill 1181 at the U.S. Supreme Court, which requires online pornography sites to verify users' ages to protect children from harmful content. The law was challenged by pornography distributors, but Texas won at the Fifth Circuit and is now defending its constitutionality. Texas has also sued Aylo Global Entertainment for non-compliance, leading to Pornhub's shutdown in Texas.
National Amusements, Inc. suffered a data breach exposing personal information of over 23,000 New York employees due to inadequate security, including unenforced multifactor authentication. The company delayed breach notification for over a year, violating the New York Shield Act. As a result, National Amusements agreed to pay $250,000 in penalties and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
$250K
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with Multi Media, LLC, operator of Chaturbate, for violating Texas age verification law HB 1181. The company agreed to implement an age verification service on its website to prevent minors from accessing adult content. No monetary penalty was imposed in this settlement.