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
Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut joined a multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief to defend the federal government's ability to communicate with social media companies about dangerous online content. The coalition opposes a preliminary injunction that prohibits such communications, arguing it undermines public safety efforts and must be overturned. The brief highlights examples of productive dialogue on issues like election security, public health emergencies, and consumer protection.
The FTC and HHS sent warning letters to approximately 130 hospital systems and telehealth providers about the privacy and security risks of using online tracking technologies, such as Meta/Facebook pixel and Google Analytics, which may impermissibly disclose sensitive health information to third parties. The agencies emphasized that such disclosures could violate HIPAA for covered entities and the FTC Act for others, citing recent enforcement actions against companies like BetterHelp and GoodRx.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sued Stone Academy, its owner Joseph Bierbaum, and Paier College of Art for violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act by deceiving students about the nursing program's quality, clinical hours, and faculty qualifications while diverting funds to other businesses. The lawsuit seeks millions in civil penalties, restitution for students, disgorgement of profits, appointment of a receiver, and attachment of assets including Bierbaum's mansion.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong released guidance affirming that state and federal anti-discrimination laws continue to protect LGBTQ+ rights following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis. The memo explains that the ruling's narrow exception for custom expressive works does not undermine Connecticut's broader public accommodations laws, which prohibit discrimination in marriage, employment, housing, credit, and hate crimes. The AG's office vows to remain vigilant and use enforcement authority to protect LGBTQ+ residents.
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
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.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong launched a consumer protection investigation into Hyundai and Kia for failing to equip vehicles with standard anti-theft immobilizers between 2011 and 2022, leading to high theft rates and public safety concerns. The investigation seeks records on the companies' decision-making and potential fixes, following a coalition of attorneys general calling for a federal recall.
The Connecticut legislature passed a series of consumer protection bills backed by Attorney General William Tong. The legislation modernizes anti-robocall laws, requires all-in pricing for ticket sales, prohibits post-cancellation cable billing charges, and enhances geolocation data breach notification requirements. The bills now await Governor Ned Lamont's signature.
Connecticut led a multistate settlement with JUUL Labs for $438.5 million over allegations of marketing vaping products to underage youth. The settlement funds are being directed to Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations through new legislation to combat youth vaping, with requirements for transparency and evidence-based programs.
$438.5M
Attorney General William Tong refuted Stone Academy's attempts to blame regulators for its abrupt closure, detailing the school's own misconduct and harm to students. He is leading an investigation into potential violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and demands full financial disclosure and resources from Stone to assist affected students.
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 and DOJ charged Amazon with violating COPPA by indefinitely retaining children's Alexa voice recordings and failing to honor parents' deletion requests. Under a proposed consent decree, Amazon must pay $25 million, delete children's data, and implement privacy safeguards.
$25.0M
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
Connecticut, Oregon, and the District of Columbia reached a $100,000 settlement with Easy Healthcare Corporation, the operator of the Premom ovulation tracking app, for sharing sensitive user health and location data with third parties without appropriate disclosures or user consent. The settlement requires the company to implement comprehensive privacy and security programs, obtain consent before sharing health or location data, and provide users with a method to delete their personal information.
$100K
EyeMed Vision Care suffered a data breach in June 2020 due to poor security practices, including shared passwords, exposing personal and medical information of approximately 2.1 million individuals. The multistate settlement imposes a $2.5 million penalty and requires EyeMed to implement enhanced security measures and comply with privacy laws.
$2.5M
The New Jersey Bureau of Securities issued a Cease and Desist Order against Horatiu Charlie Caragaceanu and his organizations for promoting TruthGPT Coin, a cryptocurrency scam that falsely claimed AI capabilities and endorsements from figures like Elon Musk. The respondents misrepresented the AI model's ability to predict cryptocurrency prices and manipulated images to show false endorsements, targeting investors with unrealistic profit promises.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with Integrity Admin Group, Inc. for deceptive home warranty marketing practices. The company will pay $10,000 and cease misleading tactics such as creating false urgency and sending fake checks. The settlement includes injunctive relief to prevent future deceptive practices.
$10K
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
Attorney General William Tong and Stamford Police confiscated thousands of illegal delta-8 THC cannabis products from three Stamford vape shops. The products, which mimic youth-oriented snacks like Oreos and Cheetos, are unregulated and untested. Legal action is being prepared against the shops for violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sought a court order to compel the owners of Stone Academy, a for-profit nursing school, to comply with civil investigative demands following the school's abrupt closure. The investigation examines potential violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, including issues with clinical instruction hours, faculty qualifications, and student transcript accuracy, which left students' education plans in limbo.
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.
A coalition of 46 state attorneys general, led by Colorado and Tennessee, filed an amicus brief to compel TikTok to produce internal communications. The investigation examines whether TikTok's practices harm youth mental health through harmful content. TikTok is accused of failing to preserve and provide communications in a usable format.
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
Attorney General William Tong and bipartisan legislators announced a bill to modernize Connecticut's anti-robocall laws, which haven't been updated since 2015. The bill would expand coverage to text messages, ban gateway VoIP providers, enforce calls to Connecticut area codes, set calling hour restrictions, strengthen telemarketer disclosures, and clarify Do Not Call List protections.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong testified in support of legislation to grant his office investigative authority under the Consumer Financial Protection Act to address widespread consumer complaints following the merger of People’s United Bank and M&T Bank, including issues with account access, unauthorized transactions, and payment processing errors.
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.