Federal and state enforcement actions involving consent failure violations, tracked from official government sources.
102
Total Actions
$9.7B
Total Fines
8
Jurisdictions
The California Privacy Protection Agency settled with PlayOn Sports for $1.10 million over CCPA violations, including failing to provide adequate opt-out mechanisms and improperly tracking users, particularly students. The company must implement proper opt-out methods, improve disclosures, and comply with children's data consent requirements.
$1.1M
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, co-leading a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general and charitable regulators, sent a letter to GoFundMe demanding the platform remove all plagiarized donation web pages for over 1.4 million charities, disclose information about donations, and ensure pages do not outrank official charity sites in search results. The action follows reports that GoFundMe used charities' information without consent and engaged in deceptive solicitations, violating state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reached an agreement with Samsung Electronics America, Inc. to stop collecting Automated Content Recognition (ACR) data from smart TVs without consumers' express consent. Samsung must update its smart TVs to provide clear and conspicuous disclosures and obtain consent before any data collection, ensuring Texans are informed and in control of their viewing data.
The FTC issued a policy statement announcing it will not enforce COPPA against operators that collect age verification data under specific conditions. The policy aims to encourage the use of age verification technologies to protect children online. Operators must limit data use, ensure security, provide notice, and use accurate verification methods.
Privacy enforcement action where the FTC settled with General Motors and OnStar for collecting and selling consumers' geolocation and driving behavior data without adequate notice or consent. The order prohibits sharing data with consumer reporting agencies and requires transparency and consumer choice measures.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into xAI for its Grok AI model generating nonconsensual sexual images of women and children, including child sexual abuse material. The AG expressed deep concern and zero tolerance, urging immediate action to prevent further
Consumer fraud case where the FTC sued JustAnswer LLC for deceiving consumers into enrolling in a costly recurring monthly subscription by falsely claiming low one-time fees. The company did not obtain affirmative consent or clearly disclose subscription terms, violating ROSCA and the FTC Act. The FTC seeks an injunction, consumer refunds, and civil penalties.
The FTC filed a motion in federal court seeking to hold payment processor Cliq, Inc. and its operators in contempt for systematically violating a 2015 consent order. The defendants are accused of processing payments for high-risk and prohibited merchants, failing to screen for deceptive practices, and facilitating fraud avoidance tactics. The FTC is requesting at least $52.9 million in consumer relief, a permanent ban on the individuals from payment processing, and appointment of a receiver.
$52.9M
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
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL Technology Group for using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect Texans' viewing data without proper consent. A temporary restraining order was secured against Hisense to halt all data collection and sharing. The AG issued a consumer alert with instructions to disable ACR on smart TVs.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton obtained a temporary restraining order against Hisense, a Chinese smart TV manufacturer, to halt its collection of Texans' personal data through Automated Content Recognition technology without consent. The technology captures every sound and image on the TVs every 500 milliseconds and sells the data, with access granted to the Chinese Communist Party. The TRO prohibits Hisense from collecting, using, selling, sharing, disclosing, or transferring ACR data about Texans while the case continues.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against five major TV manufacturers—Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL—for illegally collecting consumers' viewing data through Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology without knowledge or consent. The companies capture screenshots and monitor TV usage in real-time, then sell the data for targeted advertising, risking sensitive information. The suit seeks to halt these invasive practices and protect Texans' privacy.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against five major TV manufacturers—Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL—for unlawfully collecting Texans' viewing data using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology without their knowledge or consent. The ACR software captures screenshots of TV displays every 500 milliseconds and transmits the data to the companies, which then sell it for targeted advertising. The AG's office alleges these practices violate Texas privacy laws and seeks to enjoin the companies from continuing the surveillance.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, along with the FTC and 21 other states and counties, filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies, LLC and Uber USA, LLC for deceptive practices related to their Uber One subscription service. The lawsuit alleges Uber used negative option marketing, misled consumers about savings, made cancellation difficult, and charged consumers prematurely. The action seeks restitution, penalties, and an injunction under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced that New Jersey is joining a coalition of 22 states in suing Uber for deceptive practices related to its Uber One subscription service. The lawsuit alleges that Uber enrolled consumers without their knowledge and made cancellation extremely difficult, seeking restitution, penalties, and an injunction under New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Phase 2 of Operation Robocall Roundup, a multistate investigation targeting four major voice service providers—Inteliquent, Bandwidth, Peerless, and Lumen—for routing suspected illegal robocalls. The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force sent warning letters demanding they stop transmitting such calls, following Phase 1 which already led to some providers being removed from the FCC's database. The AG emphasized that these companies have a heightened responsibility to block call traffic from known bad actors.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $1.375 billion settlement with Google for unlawfully tracking Texans' geolocation data, incognito browsing activity, and biometric identifiers without consent. This is the largest single-state privacy settlement against Google, significantly larger than multistate settlements. The agreement resolves two major privacy enforcement actions brought by Texas.
$1.4B
Connecticut Attorney General secured a $1 million multistate settlement with TFG Holding, Inc. for deceptive VIP membership program marketing and billing practices. The company must improve disclosures, obtain explicit consent, provide easy cancellation, and offer restitution to affected consumers.
$1.0M
The Florida Attorney General's Office of Parental Rights filed a civil enforcement action against Roku, Inc. for violating the Florida Digital Bill of Rights and FDUTPA by collecting and selling children's personal data without parental consent and misrepresenting privacy controls. The action seeks civil penalties, injunctive relief, and measures to ensure compliance.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured an agreement with Austin Diagnostic Clinic to end its policy of restricting parental access to children's electronic health records. The clinic must restore full, real-time access to parents, except where prohibited by law, upholding parental rights under Texas Health & Safety Code § 183.006(b).
The FTC secured a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon, including a $1 billion civil penalty and $1.5 billion in consumer refunds, for enrolling millions of consumers in Prime subscriptions without proper consent and designing a deliberately difficult cancellation process. The order requires Amazon to implement clear enrollment disclosures, an easy cancellation method, and cease the unlawful practices.
$1.0B
The FTC issued 6(b) orders to seven technology companies to investigate the safety and privacy practices of their AI chatbots, particularly regarding impacts on children and teens. The inquiry focuses on compliance with children's privacy laws, data handling, and disclosures, requiring companies to provide information on these aspects.
The FTC settled allegations against Apitor Technology for violating COPPA by allowing a third party to collect geolocation data from children without parental consent. Apitor must pay a $500,000 suspended fine, delete improperly collected data, and implement measures to comply with COPPA, including obtaining parental consent and notifying parents.
$500K
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
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for demanding that states turn over sensitive personal information of SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers and addresses. The lawsuit argues that this demand violates federal privacy laws and the Constitution, as the data is protected and should only be used for program administration. The coalition seeks to block USDA from conditioning SNAP funding on compliance with this demand.
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
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in the 23andMe bankruptcy case to prevent the sale of Texans' genetic data without proper consent. The action seeks to confirm Texans' property rights over their genetic information under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act and the Texas Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Act. The AG argues that 23andMe's proposed asset sale would violate Texas law requiring separate express consent for disclosure of genetic information.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 27 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against 23andMe to prevent the auction of genetic data from 15 million customers without consent. The coalition argues that such sensitive information cannot be sold without express, informed consent and must adhere to state laws. The action seeks to protect consumer privacy and avert potential misuse or data breaches.
Connecticut joined a coalition of 28 attorneys general to object to 23andMe's proposed sale of genetic data in bankruptcy without customer consent. The states argue such sensitive information requires express consent and cannot be sold like ordinary property. Attorney General Tong also advised consumers to delete their data and genetic samples.
The Connecticut Attorney General, leading a multistate task force of 51 attorneys general, issued warning letters to nine phone providers for allegedly routing unlawful robocalls. The providers have received numerous traceback notices for various scam calls, including government impersonations and financial fraud. The task force demands immediate cessation of illegal robocall facilitation or face legal action.
The California Privacy Protection Agency settled with American Honda Motor Co. for CCPA violations, including making it difficult for consumers to opt-out of data sharing, using dark patterns in its privacy tool, hindering authorized agent requests, and sharing data with ad tech companies without proper contracts. Honda must pay a $632,500 fine, implement new processes for privacy requests, certify compliance, train employees, and ensure appropriate data sharing contracts.
$633K
Saturn Technologies, developer of the Saturn app for high school students, failed to verify users' age and school affiliation, allowing unauthorized interactions and mishandling contact data. The settlement requires a $650,000 penalty and mandates privacy enhancements, including better verification, data deletion, and improved settings for minors.
$650K
The FTC alleged that General Motors and its OnStar subsidiary collected and sold drivers' precise geolocation and driving behavior data (e.g., hard braking, speeding) to consumer reporting agencies without adequately notifying consumers or obtaining their affirmative consent. A proposed consent order bans the companies from disclosing this sensitive data to consumer reporting agencies for five years and requires them to implement clearer consent mechanisms, data access/deletion processes, and opt-out options.
The FTC finalized an order banning Mobilewalla Inc. from selling sensitive location data after alleging the company sold such data without verifying consumer consent. The order prohibits Mobilewalla from collecting data from ad exchanges for non-auction purposes, misrepresenting data practices, and using location data from sensitive locations like health clinics and places of worship.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Allstate and its subsidiary Arity for unlawfully collecting, using, and selling driving data from over 45 million consumers without consent. The data, which includes precise geolocation information, was used to justify insurance premium increases. This action alleges violations of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA).
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $5 million preliminary settlement with Stone Academy and its owners for unfair and deceptive conduct. The for-profit nursing school failed to deliver promised education, lacking textbooks, experienced teachers, and clinical training, and abruptly closed in February 2023. The settlement provides cash payments to harmed students, bars the owner from higher education employment for five years, and includes measures to help students complete their education.
$5.0M
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched investigations into Character.AI and fourteen other companies, including Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, for potential violations of the SCOPE Act and TDPSA regarding children's privacy and safety. The investigations focus on unauthorized sharing of minors' data and lack of parental controls. No penalties have been imposed yet as the investigations are ongoing.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced investigations into 15 companies, including Character.AI, Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, for potential violations of the SCOPE Act and TDPSA concerning children's privacy. The investigations target practices such as unauthorized sharing of minors' personal data and failure to provide parental controls. This action is part of Texas's broader initiative to enforce data privacy laws.
The FTC took action against Gravy Analytics Inc. and Venntel Inc. for unlawfully tracking and selling sensitive consumer location data without consent. The proposed consent order prohibits the sale or use of sensitive location data, requires deletion of historic data, and mandates compliance programs. This is part of the FTC's series of actions against data brokers selling sensitive location data.
The Connecticut Attorney General obtained a $5 million stipulated judgment against Vision Solar for alleged deceptive sales practices, including high-pressure tactics, misrepresentations, and performing unpermitted work. Although the company is bankrupt and cannot pay, the judgment establishes binding operational standards for solar companies in Connecticut regarding disclosures, contracting, permitting, and use of licensed contractors.
$5.0M
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 14 attorneys general filed lawsuits against TikTok for misleading about platform safety and violating COPPA by collecting children's data without parental consent. The lawsuits allege that TikTok's addictive features harm young people's mental health and that the company falsely claims its safety tools are effective. The coalition seeks to stop these practices and impose financial penalties.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for sharing minors' personal identifying information without parental consent, violating the SCOPE Act. The AG is seeking civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and injunctive relief to prevent future violations.
The FTC staff report examined data practices of nine major social media and video streaming companies and found they engaged in vast surveillance of users with lax privacy controls and inadequate safeguards for children and teens. The report recommends limiting data collection, restricting targeted advertising, and strengthening protections for young users, and calls for comprehensive federal privacy legislation.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against General Motors for unlawfully collecting and selling private driving data of over 1.5 million Texans without their knowledge or consent. GM used vehicle-installed technology to gather detailed driving data and sold it to insurance companies, deceiving customers about enrollment in services like OnStar Smart Driver. The action seeks to halt GM's privacy violations and obtain redress for affected consumers.
The FTC and DOJ sued TikTok and ByteDance for violating COPPA by collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. The complaint alleges that TikTok knowingly allowed millions of children on its platform and failed to comply with a 2019 consent order. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and a permanent injunction.
Meta captured facial recognition data from millions of Texans without consent, violating Texas biometric privacy laws. The company agreed to pay $1.4 billion over five years to settle the case. This is the largest privacy settlement obtained by a single state.
$1.4B
The FTC settled with NGL for deceptively marketing its anonymous messaging app to children and teens, using fake messages to trick users into paid subscriptions without proper consent. The order banned marketing to users under 18 and required $4.5 million in refunds for unauthorized charges.
$4.5M
The FTC finalized an order against Avast for selling consumers' web browsing data for advertising after promising privacy protection. Avast must pay $16.5 million, is banned from selling such data, must delete collected data, obtain consent, notify consumers, and implement a privacy program.
$16.5M
Tilting Point Media LLC illegally collected and shared children's personal data in its mobile app game 'SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off' without parental consent, violating COPPA and CCPA. The settlement imposes a $500,000 civil penalty and injunctive terms to ensure compliance with children's data privacy laws.
$500K
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into multiple car manufacturers for collecting and selling driver data to third parties, including insurance companies, without consumers' knowledge or consent. The investigation, conducted under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices – Consumer Protection Act, seeks documents about data collection practices and disclosures made to customers. The AG's office is concerned about invasive data collection and potential deceptive practices.
The FTC settled with InMarket Media for unlawfully collecting and using consumers' precise location data without adequate notice and consent. The order prohibits InMarket from selling or sharing precise location data, requires deletion of collected data, and mandates consumer consent mechanisms and privacy programs.
Monument, Inc., an alcohol addiction treatment firm, shared consumers' health data with third-party advertising platforms like Meta and Google without consent, despite promising confidentiality. The FTC settled with a consent order that bans Monument from disclosing health data for advertising, requires affirmative consent for other sharing, imposes a $2.5 million suspended fine, and mandates data deletion, consumer notification, and a privacy program.
$2.5M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced legislative action to ban 40-year exclusive real estate listing agreements following an investigation into MV Realty that uncovered nearly 400 deceptive contracts. The company targeted lower-income homeowners with small cash payments for long-term liens, imposing steep penalties for cancellation or independent sales, and often failed to provide proper disclosure or copies of agreements.
College Board licensed student data to third parties and used it for marketing without proper consent, violating New York law. The settlement requires College Board to pay $750,000 and prohibits future commercial use of student data from school-administered exams.
$750K
Connecticut Attorney General announced a $350 million national settlement with Publicis Health for its role in the opioid epidemic. Publicis will pay the settlement, disclose internal documents, and cease accepting opioid-related client work. Connecticut will receive nearly $4.44 million from the settlement.
$350.0M
The FTC settled with data brokers X-Mode Social and Outlogic for selling precise location data without informed consent and failing to protect sensitive information. The proposed order bans the sale of sensitive location data, requires deletion of collected data, and mandates a comprehensive privacy program. This is the FTC's first action against a data broker for sensitive location data practices.
The FTC has proposed amendments to the COPPA Rule to enhance children's privacy protections. Key changes include requiring separate parental consent for targeted advertising, prohibiting conditioning access on data collection, limiting push notifications, strengthening data security and retention requirements, and restricting commercial use in educational technology. The proposal shifts responsibility from parents to companies to safeguard children's data.
New Jersey, leading a coalition of 41 other attorneys general, sued Meta for knowingly designing addictive Instagram and Facebook features targeting children and teens while falsely claiming the platforms were safe. The lawsuit alleges Meta collected personal data from users under 13 without parental consent, violating the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state consumer protection laws like the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
A coalition of 42 attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, alleging that the company designed addictive features that harm youth mental health and violated COPPA by collecting children's data without parental consent. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, monetary penalties, and restitution.
The FTC issued warnings to five tax preparation companies against using or disclosing consumer tax data for unrelated purposes like advertising without explicit consent. The agency cites its penalty offense authority, referencing a previous case against Beneficial Corp, and warns that such practices violate the FTC Act and could incur penalties up to $50,120 per violation. The notices highlight that using tracking technologies for data collection without consent is also prohibited.
The FTC settled with background report providers TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate, charging they deceived consumers about the accuracy of their reports (often mischaracterizing traffic tickets as criminal records) and violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by operating as consumer reporting agencies without following its requirements, including ensuring accuracy and limiting permissible purposes. The companies will pay a $5.8 million penalty and implement a comprehensive FCRA compliance monitoring program.
$5.8M
The FTC finalized an order against 1Health.io for failing to secure genetic data and unfairly changing its privacy policy. The company must pay $75,000 for consumer refunds, destroy DNA samples, and implement security measures. It deceived consumers about data deletion and shared data without proper consent.
$75K
The Connecticut Attorney General and FCC warn consumers about increased student loan debt scam robocalls and robotexts following the Supreme Court decision on student loan forgiveness. They provide tips on how to spot scams and advise consumers not to share personal information and to report suspicious calls.
BetterHelp agreed to pay $7.8 million to settle FTC allegations that it used and shared consumers' health data for advertising without consent. The online therapy provider is banned from such practices and must provide refunds to approximately 800,000 affected consumers.
$7.8M
The FTC settled with genetic testing company 1Health.io for failing to secure sensitive genetic and health data, deceiving consumers about data deletion, and unfairly changing its privacy policy without notice or consent. The settlement includes refunds totaling over $49,500 to 2,432 affected consumers.
$50K
The FTC charged Ring LLC with allowing employees to access private customer videos without consent and failing to secure user accounts, leading to hackers controlling cameras. Under a proposed consent order, Ring must pay $5.8 million in refunds, delete unlawfully accessed data, and implement a privacy and security program.
$5.8M
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin joined a multistate lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. The company is accused of transmitting scam calls and ignoring warnings from the Industry Traceback Group.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a lawsuit against Michael D. Lansky, LLC (Avid Telecom) for allegedly initiating billions of illegal robocalls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The company is accused of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. This action is part of a multistate task force with nearly every state attorney general.
The FTC charged Easy Healthcare Corporation, operator of the Premom fertility app, with deceiving users by sharing their sensitive health data with third parties for advertising without consent and failing to notify breaches as required by the Health Breach Notification Rule. Under a proposed consent decree, the company will pay a $100,000 civil penalty, be barred from sharing health data for advertising, and must implement privacy and security measures.
$100K
The FTC proposed modifications to its 2020 privacy order with Meta, alleging violations including non-compliance with the order, misleading parents about Messenger Kids, and unauthorized data sharing. The proposed changes include banning monetization of youth data, pausing new product launches, and strengthening privacy requirements.
The FTC settled with Ring for failing to secure consumer videos, allowing unauthorized access by employees and hackers. Ring agreed to provide $5.6 million in refunds to affected customers and implement security measures.
$5.6M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a lawsuit against Vision Solar, LLC for engaging in predatory high-pressure sales tactics, misrepresenting financing and tax credits, and performing unpermitted work that left homeowners with nonfunctioning systems and unaffordable loans. The action seeks restitution for consumers, civil penalties, and injunctive relief to stop the company's unfair and deceptive practices.
The FTC proposed a consent order against BetterHelp for sharing consumers' sensitive mental health data with third parties like Facebook for targeted advertising without proper consent. BetterHelp must pay $7.8 million in refunds and is banned from such data sharing, with requirements for consent and privacy programs.
$7.8M
The FTC settled with GoodRx for sharing consumers' sensitive prescription and health information with Facebook, Google, and other third parties for advertising without consent, and for failing to report these unauthorized disclosures as required by the Health Breach Notification Rule. GoodRx will pay a $1.5 million civil penalty and is permanently barred from sharing user health data for advertising.
$1.5M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and the Department of Consumer Protection announced an enforcement action against Solar Wolf Energy, Inc. for unfair and deceptive sales practices. The company took high-priced deposits from consumers for residential solar projects but failed to complete or even begin the work and did not return deposits. A Superior Court order now blocks Solar Wolf from selling or advertising in Connecticut until it responds to the investigation.
Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general to urge the FTC to strengthen the Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule. The coalition supports proposed updates that prohibit misrepresentations, require accurate pricing disclosures, and obtain informed consent for add-ons, while suggesting enhancements like written disclosures and record retention to prevent consumer harm in car sales.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led 34 states and territories in a $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs over its youth-targeted marketing and misleading practices. The settlement includes strict injunctive terms prohibiting youth marketing, certain flavors, and requiring age verification. Funds will support tobacco cessation programs.
$438.5M
Connecticut Attorney General settled with Frontier Communications over deceptive marketing, hidden fees, and poor service. The $60 million settlement requires Frontier to invest $42.5 million in fiber upgrades for 40,000 households in distressed areas, end a $6.99 monthly surcharge, pay $1 million to the state, and provide $200,000 in consumer refunds. Frontier must also improve customer service, billing disclosures, and service quality guarantees over six years.
$1.0M
Harris Jewelry defrauded servicemembers with deceptive marketing, inflated prices, and hidden fees. A multistate settlement requires $34.2 million in refunds and debt relief, stops debt collection, and dissolves the business, affecting over 46,000 servicemembers.
$1.0M
The FTC took action against CafePress for failing to secure consumer data and covering up a major data breach. The company stored sensitive information insecurely and delayed notifying customers. As part of the settlement, Residual Pumpkin must pay $500,000 in redress, and both companies must implement comprehensive security programs.
$500K
The FTC finalized an order banning Support King, LLC and its CEO from the surveillance business for selling stalkerware apps that secretly collected and shared users' personal data without consent. The order requires them to delete all illegally collected data and notify affected device owners.
Attorney General William Tong released an update on the implementation of the Anti-Robocall Principles signed in 2019. Telecom companies have identified over 52 billion spam calls and blocked 32.5 billion, but robocalls continue to cause significant financial losses. Enforcement actions have increased with thousands of tracebacks and investigations.
The FTC banned Support King, LLC (SpyFone) and its CEO from the surveillance business for secretly harvesting and sharing users' data without consent, and ordered the deletion of all illegally collected data and notification to affected device owners. The company failed to secure the data, leading to a hack that exposed 2,200 consumers.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $678,901 settlement with L.A. Vision and optician Lisa Azinheira for overbilling the state Medicaid program. The providers billed for non-medically necessary vision services and extra eyeglasses for children. In addition to restitution, they must comply with a federal Integrity Agreement requiring audits, training, and compliance measures.
$679K
Connecticut Attorney General and agencies settled with Town Square Energy for deceptive marketing, including misrepresenting rates and enrolling customers without consent. Town Square must pay $400,000 to Operation Fuel and cease in-person marketing for 15 months.
$400K
The FTC settled with Kuuhuub Inc., operator of the Recolor coloring book app, for violating COPPA by collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. The app's social media features allowed children to register and share data, and third-party ad networks collected persistent identifiers for targeted ads. The settlement requires deletion of children's data, refunds to underage subscribers, a $3 million penalty (suspended upon $100,000 payment), and user notifications about the violations.
$3.0M
The FTC settled with Vivint Smart Homes, Inc. for $20 million over allegations that the company misused consumer credit reports to secure financing for unqualified customers, harming consumers' credit. The FTC is now distributing approximately $500,000 in refunds to affected consumers.
$20.0M
Everalbum, Inc. settled FTC allegations that it deceived consumers about its use of facial recognition technology in its photo storage app and failed to delete photos when users deactivated their accounts. The settlement requires Everalbum to obtain express consent before using facial recognition, delete user photos and derived face embeddings, and delete developed models and algorithms. It also prohibits misrepresentations about data practices and requires consent for biometric data use if marketing software to consumers.
The FTC settled with Zoom for deceiving users about its encryption security and unfairly installing software that bypassed browser safeguards. Zoom must implement a comprehensive security program, undergo biennial audits, and is banned from making false security claims. No monetary penalty was imposed.
California Attorney General settled with Glow, Inc. for $250,000 due to privacy and security failures in its fertility app that risked exposing users' sensitive health information. The settlement requires Glow to implement privacy and security measures, obtain affirmative consent for data sharing, and consider unique impacts on women.
$250K
The FTC charged Facebook with deceiving consumers about its privacy practices and violating a 2012 consent order. In July 2019, Facebook agreed to pay a $5 billion civil penalty and accept comprehensive new privacy restrictions.
$5.0B
Meitu, Inc. allegedly violated COPPA and the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act by collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. The settlement requires Meitu to pay a $100,000 civil penalty, update its privacy policies, and modify its apps to block data collection from children.
$100K
Lenovo preinstalled 'Visual Discovery' software on its computers that intercepted browsing data and broke encrypted connections without user consent, compromising security and privacy. The multi-state settlement imposes a $3.5 million penalty and requires Lenovo to implement disclosure, consent, opt-out, and security compliance measures.
$3.5M
VIZIO and Inscape settled allegations that they collected viewing data from Smart TVs without adequate disclosure and consent, selling it to third parties. They agreed to pay $1 million to New Jersey, destroy collected data, and implement privacy measures including obtaining consumer consent and establishing a privacy program.
$1.0M
The California Attorney General settled with Houzz Inc. for secretly recording incoming and outgoing telephone calls from March to September 2013 without notifying or obtaining consent from all parties, violating state wiretapping and eavesdropping laws. The settlement requires Houzz to pay $175,000, appoint a Chief Privacy Officer, conduct a privacy risk assessment, secure and destroy the recordings, and implement compliance measures.
$175K
The New Jersey Attorney General and FTC settled with app developer Equiliv Investments and Ryan Ramminger for distributing the Prized app that contained malware to mine cryptocurrency without user consent. The settlement prohibits such activities, requires record-keeping for 20 years, and imposes a $5,200 penalty with an additional $44,800 suspended.
$5K
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs obtained a consent decree against Jeremy Rubin, developer of Tidbit Bitcoin-mining software, for accessing New Jersey computers without users' knowledge or consent. The settlement includes a suspended $25,000 monetary penalty and prohibits future unauthorized access, requiring clear notification and verifiable consent.
$25K
The California Attorney General reached a $28.4 million settlement with Aaron's, Inc. for installing spyware on rented computers without customer consent and for violating the Karnette Rental-Purchase Act. The spyware, called 'Detective Mode', allowed remote monitoring of keystrokes, screenshots, location, and webcam activation. Aaron's must refund $25 million to approximately 100,000 customers and pay $3.4 million in penalties, and is prohibited from using spyware.
$3.4M
The New Jersey Attorney General settled with Dokogeo, the developer of the Dokobots app, for violating COPPA by collecting personal information from children without parental consent. The settlement requires Dokogeo to disclose its data practices, stop collecting children's data, delete existing children's data, and pay a suspended $25,000 penalty.
$25K
Dataium settled allegations that it used history sniffing to track consumers' online browsing without consent and sold personal data of 400,000 consumers to a data broker without notice. The settlement imposes a $400,000 monetary penalty, requires a privacy program, and mandates transparency and opt-out mechanisms.
$400K