Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued warning letters to over 100 companies informing them of their apparent failure to register as data brokers with the Texas Secretary of State by the March 1, 2024 deadline required by Chapter 509 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. The notification follows the establishment of a specialized privacy enforcement team within the AG’s Consumer Protection Division to enforce Texas privacy laws. The letters alert companies to potential penalties for noncompliance with registration and data safeguard requirements under Texas’s Data Broker Law.
The notified companies are required to cure their noncompliance by registering as data brokers with the Texas Secretary of State and implementing required data safeguards to avoid statutory penalties for violation of Texas’s Data Broker Law. No monetary penalties or other formal remedies have been imposed as of the date of the warning letters.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor agreements with entities that buy, sell, trade, or process consumer personal data to confirm whether such vendors are required to register as data brokers under Texas law. Teams should add clauses requiring vendors to certify compliance with Texas Data Broker Law registration requirements, implement adequate data safeguards, and notify the company immediately of any enforcement actions or noncompliance notices from the Texas Attorney General. Additionally, contracts should include audit rights to verify vendor registration status and data security practices, as well as indemnification clauses for penalties arising from vendor noncompliance with Texas privacy laws.
Entity
Multiple Unnamed Data Broker Companies
Industry
Data Broker"over one hundred companies"
"Chapter 509 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code"
"Texas’s newly enacted Data Broker Law"
"apparent failure to register as data brokers with the Texas Secretary of State as required by Texas’s newly enacted Data Broker Law"
"issued letters notifying over one hundred companies of their apparent failure to comply"
"Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton"
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (ISS) alleging violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by prioritizing political agendas over sound financial guidance in voting recommendations. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop deceptive practices and civil penalties of up to $10,000 per DTPA violation. This action follows a 2025 investigation into ISS and peer firm Glass Lewis & Co.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Meta's Meta AI Glasses over allegations of unlawful facial biometric data collection, deceptive privacy practices, and unauthorized sharing of user data with subcontractors. The investigation follows concerns that the glasses' always-on recording mode lacks proper user notice, planned facial recognition features would collect data without consent, and private user videos are accessed by third-party annotators in Kenya. The AG issued a Civil Investigative Demand to Meta to determine violations of Texas privacy laws.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Meta regarding its Meta AI Glasses, alleging unlawful collection of facial biometric data, deceptive privacy representations, and unauthorized sharing of user data with subcontractors. The investigation follows concerns that the glasses’ always-on recording mode lacks proper notice, subcontractors access private user content including intimate moments, and Meta plans to deploy facial recognition technology to collect unsuspecting individuals’ facial geometry. The AG issued a Civil Investigative Demand to determine if Meta violated Texas law by deceptively misrepresenting its data use practices.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a settlement via Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Albertsons Safeway LLC, prohibiting the company from misting organic produce with synthetic pesticides like ProduceMaxx in all Texas stores. The settlement requires Albertsons-owned grocery chains to stop using synthetic antimicrobial pesticides in misting systems on organic produce and implement potable water rinses for organic produce after any prior treatments. The action follows an investigation launched in January 2026 into undisclosed pesticide use on USDA-certified organic produce.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) over allegations that the organization deceived donors by using millions of dollars in contributions to fund extremist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, which it publicly claimed to oppose. The SPLC was indicted on federal fraud charges in April 2026 for secretly paying leaders of these groups without disclosing the payments to donors. The Texas OAG issued a Civil Investigative Demand to SPLC to probe deceptive donor solicititation and other potential violations of Texas law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against Texas American Muslim University (TexAM) for operating without required state authorization, offering unauthorized degrees, and misleading prospective students. TexAM lacked the necessary certificate of authority to operate as a private postsecondary institution, had a forfeited nonprofit corporate charter, and used branding confusingly similar to Texas A&M University. The AG seeks injunctive relief and civil penalties exceeding $1 million for violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) and Texas Education Code.