1,338 enforcement actions from 14 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,338
Total Actions
14
Jurisdictions
$50.6B+
Total Fines Tracked
New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by 27 other state attorneys general and the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit against 23andMe to block the company’s planned sale of 15 million customers’ genetic and health data without their consent or knowledge. The coalition argues 23andMe must comply with state laws requiring express informed consent for the sale or transfer of sensitive genetic data. The lawsuit seeks to prevent misuse, exposure in future breaches, and unauthorized use of customers’ private genetic information.
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.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Snap, Inc., operator of Snapchat, for violating Florida’s HB3 child social media protection law and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). The suit alleges Snap knowingly allowed children under 13 to create accounts, failed to obtain parental consent for 14-15 year old users, deployed addictive dark pattern design features to children, and deceived parents about platform risks including predator access, drug sales, and harmful content. The legal action seeks to hold Snap accountable for noncompliance with Florida child safety and privacy laws.
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 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).
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 launched investigations into Character.AI and 14 other companies, including Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, over potential violations of children’s privacy and safety laws. The investigations focus on compliance with the SCOPE Act and Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), which require parental consent for sharing minors’ data and mandate notice and consent requirements for children’s personal information. No fines or remedies have been imposed as the investigations are ongoing.
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.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing lawsuits against TikTok on October 8, 2024, alleging the platform harmed children’s mental health through addictive features and violated COPPA by collecting and monetizing data from users under 13 without parental consent. The lawsuits seek to halt TikTok’s harmful practices, impose financial penalties including disgorgement of profits from illegal practices, and secure damages for affected users. TikTok is also accused of misrepresenting the effectiveness of its safety tools and failing to warn users about harms from dangerous viral challenges and beauty filters.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for violating the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act by sharing minors’ personal identifying information without parental consent and failing to provide parents with tools to manage their children’s account privacy settings. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and injunctive relief to prevent future violations. TikTok is accused of prioritizing profit over the online safety and privacy of Texas children.
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 private driving data from over 1.5 million Texas drivers without consent and selling the data to third parties including insurance companies. GM allegedly deceived customers into enrolling in products like OnStar Smart Driver by falsely claiming enrollment was required to retain vehicle safety features, while concealing that enrollment authorized systematic collection and sale of detailed driving data. The action follows an investigation launched in June 2024 as part of the Texas AG’s data privacy initiative, and seeks to hold GM accountable for violating state privacy laws.
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.
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.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton initiated an investigation into multiple car manufacturers for allegedly collecting drivers' data without consent and selling it to third parties, including insurance providers. The investigation, authorized under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices – Consumer Protection Act, requires manufacturers and data purchasers to produce documents related to their data practices and customer disclosures. The AG highlighted concerns about invasive, non-consensual data collection and sale occurring without consumer knowledge.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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 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 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.
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.