1,285 enforcement actions from 14 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,285
Total Actions
14
Jurisdictions
$35.3B+
Total Fines Tracked
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent warning letters to major technology companies, urging them not to weaken data security or censor American consumers' speech in response to foreign government demands. He reminded them that such actions could violate the FTC Act's prohibition on unfair and deceptive practices, particularly if companies break promises about encryption and security. The letters cite foreign laws like the EU's Digital Services Act and UK's Investigatory Powers Act as pressures that might lead to non-compliance.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Meta AI Studio and Character.AI for deceptive practices in marketing AI chatbots as mental health services to children. The platforms are accused of impersonating licensed professionals, fabricating qualifications, and exploiting user data for advertising without proper disclosure. Civil Investigative Demands have been issued to examine violations of Texas consumer protection laws and the SCOPE Act.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into Meta and Character.AI via Civil Investigative Demands, alleging deceptive trade practices including misrepresenting AI chatbots as confidential mental health tools while harvesting user data for targeted advertising. The probe assesses potential violations of Texas consumer protection laws and the SCOPE Act, particularly regarding privacy misrepresentations, concealment of data usage, and harms to children. This builds on prior investigations into Character.AI for SCOPE Act compliance.
The FTC finalized an order with GoDaddy for failing to implement adequate data security measures and misleading consumers about its security and Privacy Shield compliance. The order prohibits misrepresentations, requires a comprehensive security program, and mandates independent assessments.
The FTC settled charges against GoDaddy Inc. and GoDaddy.com, LLC for misleading customers about their data security protections and failing to adequately secure their website hosting services. The company's security failures left customers' and website visitors' data vulnerable to attacks. The final order requires GoDaddy to implement comprehensive data security measures.
The FTC settled charges against GoDaddy Inc. and GoDaddy.com, LLC for misleading customers about their data security protections and failing to adequately secure their website hosting services. The company allegedly did not implement reasonable security measures, leaving customer websites vulnerable to attacks that could harm both the customers and visitors to those sites. The case resulted in a consent order requiring GoDaddy to improve its security practices.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced legal action against several Chinese companies, including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut, for violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies have been given 30 days to comply with requirements to disclose data processing, allow consumers to opt out of data collection, and enable data deletion. Failure to comply will result in further legal action to protect Texans' privacy rights and prevent data from being accessed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued notices to several Chinese companies, including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut, for violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies must comply with TDPSA's requirements to disclose data processing, allow opt-outs, and enable data deletion within 30 days, or face further legal action.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a 30-day compliance notice to TP-Link, Alibaba, CapCut, and other CCP-affiliated Chinese companies for violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies are accused of failing to disclose consumer data processing activities, allow opt-out of data collection, and enable consumer data deletion as required by Texas law. If the companies do not comply within 30 days, the Attorney General's office will pursue additional legal action.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has notified several Chinese companies, including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut, that they are violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies must comply with TDPSA requirements to disclose data processing, allow consumer opt-outs, and enable data deletion within 30 days. Failure to comply will result in further legal action.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into Chinese AI company DeepSeek for alleged violations of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, citing concerns over the company’s privacy practices and ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The AG also notified DeepSeek of the alleged violations, issued a ban on DeepSeek’s platform on all Office of the Attorney General devices, and sent third-party Civil Investigative Demands to Google and Apple for documentation related to the DeepSeek app. The investigation stems from allegations that DeepSeek acts as a proxy for the CCP to steal Texas citizens’ data and undermine U.S. AI dominance.
The FTC settled charges against GoDaddy for failing to implement adequate data security measures for its web hosting services, which led to multiple breaches and misled customers about its security protections. The proposed order requires GoDaddy to establish a comprehensive information security program and hire an independent assessor for regular reviews.
The FTC finalized an order against IntelliVision Technologies Corp. for making deceptive claims about its facial recognition software's accuracy and lack of bias. The company must now back up any claims with competent testing and is prohibited from misrepresenting the software's performance. No monetary penalty was imposed.
Attorney General William Tong announced that starting January 1, 2025, businesses covered by the Connecticut Data Privacy Act must honor global opt-out preference signals, allowing consumers to opt out of targeted advertising and data sales via tools like Global Privacy Control. The advisory explains requirements, notes exemptions for HIPAA-covered entities, and provides resources for compliance.
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.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton settled with Pieces Technologies for making deceptive claims about the accuracy of its healthcare AI products used in Texas hospitals. The company advertised an error rate of '<1 per 100,000' which was found inaccurate. The settlement requires Pieces to accurately disclose product accuracy and ensure hospital staff understand the limitations.
Attorney General William Tong, along with the U.S. Department of Justice and eight other state attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against RealPage Inc. for allegedly using its algorithmic pricing software to facilitate price fixing among landlords and monopolize the market for revenue management software. The complaint alleges that RealPage collects competitively sensitive rental data from landlords to train its algorithm, which then recommends prices, harming renters by reducing competition. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to end these practices and restore competition.
The FTC finalized a consent order against Blackbaud Inc. for alleged security failures that led to a data breach exposing personal data of millions of consumers. Blackbaud must delete unnecessary data, implement a security program, and not misrepresent its policies. No monetary penalty was imposed.
Connecticut, along with the U.S. Department of Justice and 15 other states, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple Inc. for monopolizing smartphone markets in violation of the Sherman Act. The complaint alleges Apple engages in anticompetitive conduct such as blocking innovative apps, suppressing cloud streaming services, and limiting interoperability to maintain its monopoly and impose high costs on consumers and developers. The plaintiffs seek equitable relief to restore competition.
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.
Attorney General William Tong released guidance advising Connecticut consumers of new privacy rights under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), effective July 1, 2023. The CTDPA grants consumers rights to access, correct, delete, and opt-out of the sale of personal data and targeted advertising. Businesses must comply with these requirements, obtain consent for sensitive data and children's data, and maintain privacy notices.
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 and DCP Commissioner Michelle Seagull warned consumers about misleading marketing and high-pressure sales tactics by solar companies, citing active investigations and advising thorough research before signing solar contracts.
The FTC settled with CafePress for failing to implement reasonable data security measures, leading to multiple breaches that exposed Social Security numbers and other sensitive data. As part of the settlement, over $370,000 in refunds are being distributed to 20,044 consumers who filed valid claims.
$370K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a public warning following the FinalSite ransomware attack that disrupted school websites and communication systems nationwide. He urged all businesses and government entities to strengthen their data security practices and provided a detailed list of preventive measures. The AG also announced a new online form to help businesses comply with breach notification obligations for Connecticut residents.
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.
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.
Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut joined a multistate coalition of 37 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Google alleging antitrust violations related to the Google Play Store and Google Billing. The lawsuit claims Google used its dominance to restrict competition, force developers to use Google Billing, and charge high commissions up to 30%. The action seeks to restore competition in the app market and halt Google's anticompetitive practices.
The FTC finalized a settlement with Zoom Video Communications, Inc. for misleading consumers about its data security practices and compromising user security. The settlement requires Zoom to implement a comprehensive security program, review software updates for security flaws, and undergo biennial third-party assessments.
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.
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.