Consumer Protection

  • August 19, 2026

    8th Circ. Backs $1B Broker Commissions Settlement

    The Eighth Circuit decided Wednesday to affirm a more than $1 billion class action settlement that's supposed to resolve antitrust claims against the National Association of Realtors and multiple real estate brokerages, which were accused of running an anticompetitive scheme that involved the brokerages following NAR rules that artificially inflated buyer-broker commissions.

  • August 19, 2026

    Apple Makes App Store Policy Changes In Europe

    Apple has made several changes to its policies for app distribution in Europe, after enforcers found restrictions and fees were blocking competition from App Store alternatives and outside payments methods.

  • August 19, 2026

    Broadband Co. Asks FCC To Fix 'Ineffective' State Pole Regs

    Broadband provider GoNetSpeed has asked the Federal Communications Commission to open a rulemaking proceeding to tackle "ineffective" state regulation of utility pole attachments for broadband equipment.

  • August 19, 2026

    DOJ Touts 'Targeted' Probes In Sales Software Merger OK

    The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday it had closed an in-depth review into a sales tracking software merger, mollified by the likelihood of artificial intelligence-enabled competition, in an announcement touting the use of "targeted" scrutiny to end the probe quickly.

  • August 19, 2026

    XAI Sued Over Grok's Alleged Creation Of CSAM Deepfakes

    Elon Musk's xAI failed to implement industry-standard safeguards on its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok and knowingly allowed it to be used to create deepfakes of real children depicted in child sexual abuse material, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • August 19, 2026

    TaxAct Settles Conn. Claims Of Info Sharing Via Site Trackers

    The Connecticut attorney general announced Wednesday that TaxAct will pay $275,000 to resolve allegations it shared sensitive taxpayer information with Meta and Google via tracking technologies, and will also implement new policies and procedures to track and manage such technologies on its platform. 

  • August 19, 2026

    OCC Advancing Stablecoin Rule At 'Great Speed,' Gould Says

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency plans to issue the main rule establishing its stablecoin oversight framework by November and expects to be ready to process issuer licensing applications as soon as January, the agency's top official said Wednesday.

  • August 19, 2026

    'Bob's Burgers' Actor Sues Lucid Over 'Lemon' SUV

    Comedian and "Bob's Burgers" star Eugene Mirman has sued California-based electric automaker Lucid in Massachusetts state court for leasing him a "lemon" last year.

  • August 19, 2026

    Trump Taps White House Aide Overton To Lead FDA

    President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the nomination of White House aide Heidi Overton, an abortion opponent who has urged states to roll back vaccine requirements, to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

  • August 19, 2026

    Google Beats Class Suit Over Free Workspace Promises

    Google has defeated a class action alleging it reneged on its promise to offer free access to its business-productivity tools, formerly known as Google Apps, with a California federal judge saying the contracts with users affirmatively authorized the company to stop offering a free version of the service. 

  • August 19, 2026

    Canadian Enforcers Move To Block Nortera's Green Giant Deal

    Canada's antitrust enforcer said Wednesday it will seek to block Nortera Foods' planned acquisition of the Green Giant and Le Sieur brands in the country from B&G Foods over concerns that the deal could lead to higher prices.

  • August 19, 2026

    Spirit Flight Attendants Object To Google Data Sale

    The union representing Spirit Aviation's flight attendants has asked a New York bankruptcy judge to reject the bankrupt airline's request to sell its internal data to Google for artificial intelligence training unless the privacy of its members is protected.

  • August 19, 2026

    Paramount Judge Urges Parties To Be 'More Reasonable'

    A California federal judge overseeing the challenge to Paramount Skydance's $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition brought by the Writers Guild of America and state attorneys general urged the parties Wednesday to be "much more reasonable" with discovery disputes, warning that if they aren't, "you will find yourself asked to engage a special master."

  • August 19, 2026

    Paramount Viewers Stuck With Bringing Amended Suit

    A California federal judge refused Tuesday to reconsider dismissing a consumer complaint challenging Paramount's completed merger with Skydance and its planned purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, holding that the filing of an amended complaint mooted the motion.

  • August 19, 2026

    CFTC Spares FTX's Ellison, Wang Fines For Cooperation

    Former FTX and Alameda Research executives Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang have agreed to trading and registration bans, but will not face financial penalties, as part of deals with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to resolve fraud claims against them over their roles in the scheme that caused the crypto exchange and trading firm to collapse.

  • August 19, 2026

    Judge May Trim $88M Covidien Hernia Mesh Verdict

    A Massachusetts federal judge said Wednesday she is "likely" to reduce a jury's recent $88 million verdict in a bellwether hernia mesh lawsuit and encouraged lawyers for an Alabama couple and Covidien LP to consider a settlement.

  • August 19, 2026

    Ohio Urges 6th Circ. To Allow Hemp Reclassification

    The state of Ohio urged the Sixth Circuit on Wednesday to reverse a lower court's decision halting enforcement of a new state law that reclassified hemp products as marijuana, accusing the hemp companies who sought the injunction of pushing an "aggressive theory" of the case.

  • August 19, 2026

    5th Circ. Backs Delay Of FDA's 11-Warning Cigarette Rule

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday upheld the delay of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule requiring the addition of graphic warning labels to cigarette packages, saying tobacco companies that challenged the rule showed the agency likely overstepped its narrow authority to adjust existing warnings by creating two new ones.

  • August 18, 2026

    7th Circ. Says Resort Co. Waited Too Long For TCPA Suit Arb.

    The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday concluded Club Exploria's conduct in a long-running Telephone Consumer Protection Act case was inconsistent with its intent to arbitrate as it waited four years to raise arbitration and finding its decision to hire new lawyers "late in the game cannot excuse prior counsel's lack of diligence."

  • August 18, 2026

    DC Circ. Backs EPA Forever Chemicals Rules

    The D.C. Circuit Tuesday backed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's designation of the two most common forms of forever chemicals as hazardous substances under federal Superfund law, rejecting arguments from industry that the agency didn't have a legal basis to do so.

  • August 18, 2026

    SEC Proposes Long-Awaited Crypto Offering Exemptions

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday unveiled plans to exempt some cryptocurrency offerings from its registration requirements and to create a safe harbor for some projects to eventually shed securities law obligations altogether.

  • August 18, 2026

    Zuckerberg Waved Off Filter Criticism, Tenn. Jury Hears

    A former Meta executive overseeing responsible innovation testified Tuesday that Mark Zuckerberg iced out her thoughts regarding the harm to teens of cosmetic surgery image filters, but said generally the company's employees are well intentioned when it comes to user safety.

  • August 18, 2026

    Amazon Shoppers' $309M Returns Class Deal Gets Initial OK

    A Washington federal judge gave a tentative green light Tuesday to a $309.5 million class action settlement to end allegations that Amazon shortchanged consumers on refunds for returned items, with the e-commerce giant pledging to improve its return policies to prevent future problems.  

  • August 18, 2026

    BofA Loses Bid To Exit COVID-Era Calif. Benefits Card MDL

    A California federal judge largely denied Bank of America's bid for an early win in multidistrict litigation over allegations the bank mishandled reports of unauthorized ATM transactions on unemployment benefits cards issued during the pandemic, according to an opinion unsealed Tuesday.

  • August 18, 2026

    'Profits Won': States Say Meta Targeted Kids As Trial Opens

    An attorney for more than two dozen states told a California federal jury during opening statements Tuesday that Meta hid what it knew about social media's mental health harms and prioritized profits over safety in a yearslong effort to hook kids on its platforms, while Meta defended its safety practices as best-in-class.

Expert Analysis

  • Trump AI Order: Voluntary Framework, Mandatory Implications

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    President Donald Trump's recent executive order promoting the advancement of artificial intelligence innovation and security establishes a new framework for government collaboration with the AI industry, but its classified benchmarking criteria, prerelease framework terms and operational rules will determine whether it establishes de facto compliance expectations, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • FDIC Proposal Takes Bank-Like AML Approach To Stablecoins

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    Rather than craft a bespoke regime for stablecoin issuers, a recently proposed Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. rule builds a technology-neutral Bank Secrecy Act compliance framework under the Genius Act, firmly anchoring stablecoins within the U.S. financial regulatory perimeter, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Opinion

    FTC's Clinical Trial Requirement Threatens Food Claim Rules

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    The Federal Trade Commission's general requirement for randomized controlled trials for most health-benefit claims, recently embraced by the National Advertising Review Board, lacks legal basis and endangers the existing statutory framework Congress created for marketing food and dietary supplements versus drugs, say attorneys at Keller & Heckman.

  • How A Novel NY Law Fits Into The AI Legal Landscape For Ads

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    An amendment to New York's General Business Law requiring disclosures when advertisements use performers generated by artificial intelligence arrives at a moment of rapid transformation in the marketing ecosystem and indicates that advertisers should take a proactive approach grounded in transparency, contractual protections and alignment across legal and creative teams, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Opinion

    Current Consumer Protection Laws Can Fit Agentic Commerce

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    While agentic commerce — artificial intelligence that searches, compares and makes purchases for customers — doesn't warrant a new consumer protection regime, it will require companies to design compliance into their products from the outset and challenge regulators to consistently apply existing laws, says Katherine Adkins at Affirm.

  • How Reserve Studies Fit Into Condo Association Compliance

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    In the five years since the Surfside condominium collapse and as states like New Jersey establish related safety mandates, reserve planning has emerged as a central compliance concern for community associations, acting as a practical tool for responsible disclosure and managing long-term capital obligations, say attorneys at Dilworth Paxson.

  • AI Heightens Old Compliance Risks For Investment Advisers

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    Though artificial intelligence offers genuine promise for investment advisers, it also magnifies long-standing risks — including those involving fiduciary duties, books and records, client confidentiality, and marketing — with most foundational compliance requirements likely to remain, says Theodore Edwards at Troutman.

  • Drawing A Line Between Settlement Pressure And Extortion

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    U.S. v. Luo, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, may force courts to address anew when settlement negotiations become criminal extortion, particularly in the age of easily fabricated digital evidence, says attorney Denis Kiely.

  • California Antitrust Bill Raises New Risks For Dealmakers

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    A pending California bill would turn the state attorney general's office into a more powerful antitrust enforcer, introducing a host of implications for dealmakers beyond whether deals close, such as deal certainty and risk allocation, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Colorado's New Chatbot Law May Be Defined By Its Carveouts

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    What makes Colorado's conversational artificial intelligence service law worth close attention is what it leaves out, so a thorough scoping analysis may be as important as compliance planning for companies that develop, license or deploy conversational AI, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Risk Reduction Lessons For PE Firms From PowerSchool Suit

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    A California federal court's recent orders allowing claims against Bain Capital to proceed based on a data breach at its subsidiary PowerSchool indicate that private equity firms need to strategically approach acquisition activities to avoid cybersecurity risks, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • FTC Focus: Calibrating Biden-Era Issues In 2026's 1st Half

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    In the first half of 2026, Federal Trade Commission actions have redefined which of the previous administration's theories it views as legally sustainable, institutionally worthwhile and consistent with a more restrained conception, including a pivot from rulemaking to case-specific noncompete enforcement this spring, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • High Court's FCC Ruling Adds To Comms Industry Paradox

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    The Supreme Court's recent decision in Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T, finding that the FCC's informal forfeiture process survives Seventh Amendment scrutiny, opens some doors for regulated entities, but the practical effect may be surprisingly constrained, says Jonathan Marashlian at The CommLaw Group.

  • Why Ultra-Processed Foods May Be The Next Big Mass Tort

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    With multiple federal lawsuits filed already this year over the alleged harms caused by ultra-processed foods, and policymakers targeting UPFs for increasingly strict regulation, the sector exhibits the same structural characteristics identified historically in major mass torts, say Ruth Levy at Womble Bond and Elizabeth Epes at Financial Asset Recovery Analytics.

  • A Lender's Guide To Fraud: Identifying Risks

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    The evolving lending landscape, particularly the private credit boom, has heightened lenders' exposure to fraud, but recent bankruptcies demonstrate where fraud risks most commonly materialize and how banks can mitigate exposure at the outset, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

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