Penalty Amount
$566,200
PulsePoint circumvented Safari browser privacy settings to place unauthorized cookies, enabling targeted advertising without user consent. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs secured a $1 million settlement, including a $566,200 civil penalty, and mandated privacy reforms such as third-party assessments and website disclosures.
PulsePoint must pay $566,200 in civil penalties, $33,800 for State costs, $150,000 for privacy programs, and provide $250,000 in in-kind advertising. It must implement privacy controls, undergo annual third-party privacy assessments for five years, disclose data collection practices on its website, and maintain systems to expire pre-settlement cookies.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor and customer agreements where PulsePoint (or similar ad tech entities) is a data processor or recipient, particularly those involving digital advertising, analytics, or data sharing. Focus on clauses governing data collection methods, consent requirements (especially for cookies and tracking), compliance with browser privacy signals (e.g., Do Not Track), and data security obligations. Given the settlement's mandate for third-party privacy assessments and enhanced website disclosures, contracts may need amendments to include audit rights, specific technical compliance warranties, and obligations to provide clear, accessible consumer control mechanisms (opt-out/restriction instructions). Data processing agreements (DPAs) should be updated to reflect these enhanced standards and ensure flow-down requirements to sub-processors.
Entity
PulsePoint
Industry
AdvertisingOfficial Press Release
https://www.njoag.gov/new-jersey-division-of-consumer-affairs-obtains-million-dollar-settlement-with-online-advertising-company-accused-of-overriding-consumers-privacy-settings-without-consent/
New Jersey Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-consumer-affairs/
"PulsePoint, based in New York City"
"$566,200 civil penalty"
"New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act"
"placed unauthorized “cookies” – small packages of data – on Apple, Inc.’s Safari web browsers, even though the users’ privacy settings were set to specifically block cookies from third-party advertisers."
$100K
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced a Consent Order with King Distribution LLC and 17 related retail smoke shops, resolving allegations that the companies illegally sold flavored vapor products in violation of New Jersey’s consumer protection laws. The Consent Order imposes a $100,000 civil penalty, requires reimbursement of $22,279 in investigation costs, and prohibits the companies from selling or distributing flavored vapor products in New Jersey. The enforcement action is part of New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to protect youth from flavored vape products, which have been permanently banned in the state since January 2020.
The New Jersey Bureau of Securities issued a Cease and Desist Order on April 30, 2026, against Titan Macro Finance for operating an investment fraud scheme via WhatsApp and Instagram that defrauded at least one New Jersey investor of $64,000. The scheme involved unregistered broker-dealer activity, fake trading profits, and undisclosed fees to access investor funds. The action was coordinated with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which issued a similar order against the entity for violating California’s Commodity Code.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Bureau of Securities issued a public warning to state residents about fraudulent investment schemes proliferating on Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The alert details common scam tactics such as pump-and-dump schemes, confidence scams, and fraudulent cryptocurrency offerings, and provides tips for residents to avoid victimization. No enforcement action against any entity was announced in this release.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport led a bipartisan coalition of 27 state attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging federal rulemaking to regulate hidden and deceptive rental housing fees. The AG also issued guidance clarifying New Jersey’s new $50 rental application fee cap, effective May 1, 2026, warning that deceptive fee practices may violate the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. No specific enforcement action against a named individual entity was announced, with enforcement of the fee cap set to begin May 1, 2026.
$2.0M
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced a multistate settlement with NCL Bahamas, Ltd. (Norwegian Cruise Line) resolving allegations of deceptive sales practices and unfair cancellation, refund, and future cruise credit policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The settlement requires NCL to pay $2 million to participating states, implement employee training and management approval processes for sales communications during disasters, and prohibits deceptive sales statements and prioritizing sales over consumer health and safety. NCL has already issued over $3 billion in refunds and future cruise credits to consumers nationwide related to the underlying allegations.
Ibelis Gonzalez, a 46-year-old Jersey City resident, was indicted on charges including second-degree theft by deception, second-degree impersonation/theft of identity, and third-degree false government documents. She is alleged to have used fake identification to obtain debit cards in six victims' names, stealing approximately $86,840 from their bank accounts between May and June 2024. The case is being prosecuted by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, with potential maximum fines of $150,000 for second-degree charges and $15,000 for third-degree charges.