1,788 enforcement actions from 16 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,788
Total Actions
16
Jurisdictions
$51.8B+
Total Fines Tracked
The FTC and 11 states settled with Walmart for $100 million over deceptive earnings claims in its Spark Driver gig worker app, where drivers were misled about base pay, tips, and incentives. The settlement also addressed GLBA violations for failing to provide proper notice regarding the handling of drivers' financial information. Walmart must implement an earnings verification program and is banned from misrepresenting driver earnings.
$100.0M
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.
CalPrivacy sponsored AB 2021, the Whistleblower Protection and Privacy Act, introduced by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo. The bill establishes whistleblower protections under the CCPA, including an award program and anti-retaliation provisions, to encourage insiders to report privacy violations.
Consumer fraud enforcement action where the FTC is distributing $23 million in refunds to investors defrauded by the Sanctuary Belize and Kanantik real estate schemes. The defendants deceived consumers about luxury amenities and resale potential, resulting in losses of over $100 million. This is the second round of refunds following a court judgment.
$22.9M
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.
Consumer fraud investigation where the FTC is seeking information from 20 universities about whether sports agents are complying with the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA), which requires disclosures to student athletes and notification to schools. The inquiry aims to ensure student athletes are protected from deceptive practices by agents.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to Instacart demanding information about its use of algorithmic pricing, after a study found users were charged up to 23% more for identical products. The AG warned that Instacart’s pricing disclosures are non-compliant with New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act, which requires prominent notices near product prices when personal data is used to set prices. Instacart must provide details on its pricing experiments, automated tools, and compliance efforts with the state’s disclosure requirements.
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
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, leading a coalition of 35 attorneys general, urged Meta to enforce its policies against misleading AI-generated weight loss ads on Instagram and Facebook. The ads promote non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs without disclosing risks and use fake AI content. The coalition demands Meta restrict such ads, require clear risk disclosures, and label AI-generated content.
Environmental and consumer protection enforcement action where Mercedes-Benz USA agreed to a nearly $150 million settlement for installing emissions defeat devices in diesel vehicles and misleading consumers about their environmental compliance. The settlement includes significant consumer relief and practice reforms.
$149.7M
Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of 15 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the EPA opposing the Trump Administration's proposal to roll back PFAS reporting requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The coalition argues that the exemptions would shield most manufacturers from reporting critical information about PFAS chemicals, hindering efforts to protect public health and the environment.
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 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.
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.
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.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a multistate coalition in sending inquiry letters to six major BNPL providers—Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, PayPal, Sezzle, and Zip—seeking detailed information on their pricing, fees, disclosures, and consumer assessment practices to evaluate compliance with consumer protection laws, following the rescission of federal Truth in Lending Act rules for BNPL.
Consumer protection and advertising enforcement action. Oregon Attorney General secured a settlement with meal-kit company HelloFresh for misleading consumers with deceptive 'free meal,' 'free shipping,' and 'free gift' offers that required hundreds of dollars in purchases to obtain. The company must pay $106,000 and implement comprehensive advertising reforms.
$106K
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by Connecticut and New York Attorneys General, secured a $5.1 million multistate settlement with edtech company Illuminate Education, Inc. over a 2021 data breach that exposed sensitive personal and medical information of millions of students, including over 434,000 California students. The investigation found Illuminate failed to implement basic security measures, including failing to terminate former employee credentials, lacking suspicious activity monitoring, and unsecured backup databases, as well as making false statements in its privacy policy. Illuminate must pay $3.25 million to California, implement enhanced security practices, and notify the CA DOJ of future student data breaches.
$5.1M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed an expanded complaint against Altice/Optimum Online for deceptive advertising and hidden 'Network Enhancement' fees that collected at least $39.1 million from consumers. The company allegedly misled customers with 'price for life' deals while burying fees in fine print and targeting Spanish speakers with English-only disclosures. The complaint seeks penalties and disgorgement under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.
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
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a civil enforcement action against Roku, Inc. for violating the Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBOR) and Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). The complaint alleges Roku collected, sold, and enabled reidentification of children’s sensitive personal data, including viewing habits and voice recordings, without parental consent or meaningful notice to consumers. The state seeks civil penalties, injunctive relief, and requirements for Roku to implement transparent disclosures, lawful parental controls, and cease unauthorized processing of children’s data.
The Texas Attorney General opened an investigation into TP-Link Systems Inc. for potentially allowing the Chinese government to access Texans' consumer data through back doors in networking equipment. The investigation will examine whether TP Link violated Texas privacy law by misleading consumers about its independence and improperly collecting or disclosing data. This follows a prior privacy notice violation issued to the company.
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) settled with Tractor Supply Company for $1.35 million over violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The violations included failing to maintain a proper privacy policy, not notifying job applicants of their rights, lacking an effective opt-out mechanism, and sharing personal information without adequate contracts. Tractor Supply must pay the fine and implement remedial measures such as scanning digital properties and annual compliance certification.
$1.4M
The FTC and 19 states settled with Kars-R-Us.com, Inc. and its operators for deceptive charity fundraising claims, where only 0.28% of over $45 million raised was used for breast cancer screenings. Operators face permanent fundraising bans and a $3.88 million monetary judgment.
$3.9M
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
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to Lorex as part of an ongoing consumer protection and data privacy investigation. The probe examines Lorex’s ties to Dahua Technology and potential foreign spying risks, including unauthorized access to children’s data, and whether the company misled consumers about the privacy and security of its camera products and apps. The subpoena seeks documents related to corporate structure, third-party contracts, software update origins, data center locations, security vulnerabilities, and marketing claims about privacy and security.
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.
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.