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 issued a consumer alert warning Texas businesses and nonprofits about a surge of demand letters alleging California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) violations based on common website technologies such as cookies, pixels, and analytics tools. The AG cautions that some letters may exaggerate or misrepresent violations and may be fraudulent, noting serial CIPA plaintiff Vivek Shah has been declared a vexatious litigant. Recipients are advised not to pay or respond directly, to consult privacy counsel, and to report suspected fraud to the Consumer Protection Division.
A Texas state district court (Judge Cory Liu) has found TikTok liable for lying to parents about the safety of its platform and for exposing children to inappropriate and explicit content, making Texas the first state in the nation to hold TikTok liable on these claims. The court found that although TikTok claimed it would remove graphic videos depicting drugs, nudity, alcohol, injuries, and profanity, such videos remained accessible to minors, even under 'Restricted Mode.' No penalty has been imposed yet; Attorney General Paxton will proceed to trial, expected next month, where relief and penalties will be determined.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp., the U.S. government contractor that administers the VA Community Care Network and the Defense Health Agency's TRICARE West Region, over reports that it wrongfully denied health care claims by falsely treating insureds as having other health insurance (OHI). The OAG has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) and plans to interview consumers and employees to determine whether TriWest violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. No findings or penalties have been imposed yet.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Amazon.com, Inc. on August 31, 2026, alleging Amazon deceived advertisers by claiming to run second-price auctions while secretly applying hidden surcharges and undisclosed 'soft reserve' prices that pushed winners' costs up by roughly 17% on ordinary days and more than 25% during peak events like Prime Day. The hidden surcharges generated roughly $4.5 billion in additional nationwide revenue in 2024, and more than 18,000 Texas sellers and vendors advertise on the platform. The State brings claims under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, an injunction against inaccurate auction descriptions, and per-auction pricing records for every Texas advertiser; the FTC and a coalition of other states filed a parallel federal action the same day.
$1.0B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a historic settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. requiring Meta to pay over $1 billion and implement significant new safeguards to protect children online. The settlement includes stricter age-assurance measures, a daily two-hour limit for teen users, default disabling of notifications during school hours, hidden likes/reactions, and a nighttime access mode restricting features for children.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an industry-wide investigation into companies marketing avocado oil products that may contain undisclosed seed oils. Civil Investigative Demands were issued to Primal Kitchen, Siete Foods, and Chosen Foods, with more companies expected to be investigated for potential violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.