Consumer Protection

  • August 18, 2026

    Equity To Sell Boston Towers To Satisfy Antitrust Concerns

    Equity Residential has agreed to sell off two high-rise apartment buildings in Boston to avoid state and federal antitrust claims following its $69 billion merger with AvalonBay Communities, according to an agreement with the Massachusetts attorney general.

  • August 18, 2026

    ABC Sues FCC To Stop License Renewal 'Retaliation'

    ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, accusing the Trump administration of using the agency to threaten the Disney-owned network's licenses in a bid to stop it from broadcasting anything displeasing to the president.

  • August 17, 2026

    Albertsons Judge Hears $44B Opioid Abatement Plan In Wash.

    Addressing harm caused by prescription opioid abuse in Washington would cost nearly $44.4 billion, an expert testified Monday during a bench trial in the state's case accusing Albertsons and its Safeway subsidiary of exacerbating Washington's overdose crisis by failing to curb the flow of controlled substances.

  • August 17, 2026

    Treasury Plan Would Map Boundaries Of US Stablecoin Market

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Monday floated a proposal to set standards for how and when payment stablecoins may enter the U.S. market, moving ahead on a key unfinished plank of the emerging federal regulatory framework for the stable-value tokens.

  • August 17, 2026

    Standing Flaw Sinks Chrysler Website Tracking Row, For Now

    A California federal judge has tossed, with leave to amend, a proposed class action accusing automaker FCA of illegally divulging Chrysler website visitors' personal information to a data broker, finding that the plaintiff had failed to establish the type of concrete injury necessary to sustain her wiretap and privacy claims.

  • August 17, 2026

    Meta Exec Can't 'Rule Out' Addiction But Doubts It, Jury Told

    A Meta safety executive admitted Monday to a Tennessee jury that she cannot "rule out" that addiction may occur with Instagram but said she believes that so far there is no evidence to identify anything beyond "problematic use."

  • August 17, 2026

    Experts See Looming Legal Disputes Over FCC Party Balance

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to ditch case law shielding independent federal agency members from presidential removal is unlikely to resolve ongoing controversy over White House control of the Federal Communications Commission, experts said Monday.

  • August 17, 2026

    Pitney Bowes Hit With Tariff Refund Suit By EBay Users

    EBay users hit Pitney Bowes Inc. with a breach of contract proposed class action Monday in Connecticut federal court alleging the global shipping and logistics company failed to return or refund them tariff-related charges that were deemed illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year.

  • August 17, 2026

    Calif. AG Pans Bid To Pause Social Media Algorithm Limits

    The California attorney general urged a federal judge to deny requests from TikTok, Meta and Google to block enforcement of a state law barring them from using algorithms to deliver feeds to children, saying the court already denied a preliminary injunction and should not grant one pending the companies' appeal.

  • August 17, 2026

    Feds Back NJ Drivers' Bid To Void NYC Congestion Pricing

    The Trump administration threw its support behind New Jersey and out-of-state drivers suing to shut down New York's congestion pricing, saying a Biden-era federal agreement that gave New York's program the green light was invalid from the start.

  • August 17, 2026

    DOJ Charges Ga. Man Over $165M Crypto Ponzi Scheme

    A serial "Ponzi-schemer" is charged with wire fraud for allegedly spearheading a $165 million cryptocurrency scheme that defrauded over 6,000 victims around the world and using the money to make alimony payments and buy expensive cars for his children, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday. 

  • August 17, 2026

    Meta Loses 'Hail Mary' Sanctions Bid On Eve Of AGs' Trial

    A California federal judge Sunday denied Meta's request for spoliation sanctions against state attorneys general that would've barred a Meta whistleblower from testifying in the upcoming high-stakes social media addiction bellwether trial, ruling that Meta's request was an "obvious" "Hail Mary attempt to eliminate a strong witness" before trial.

  • August 17, 2026

    Apple Bricked Smartwatches In Software Update, Suit Says

    Apple has been hit with a proposed class action in California federal court alleging it breached its contracts with customers by intentionally killing updated software support for five generations of its smartwatches and essentially bricking them before the end of the hardware's useful life.

  • August 17, 2026

    Happy Egg Breaks 'Pasture Raised' False Ad Class At 9th Circ.

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday threw out class certification of California and New York consumers accusing the company behind the Happy Egg brand of deceptively labeling egg cartons with promises that its hens are "pasture raised on over 8 acres."

  • August 17, 2026

    Virginia Hemp Cos. Lose Bid To Halt THC Cap

    A Virginia federal judge has refused to block a state law placing new potency caps on THC products, ruling that the hemp businesses opposing the law are unlikely to succeed with claims that the law constitutes an unconstitutional taking.

  • August 17, 2026

    Google To Pay $10M For Spirit Airlines Data To Help AI Models

    Technology giant Google LLC has won an auction for Spirit Airlines' emails, chats, spreadsheets and other data, offering $10 million for anonymized information it will use to improve its large language models and other products, according to a notice filed Friday in New York bankruptcy court.

  • August 17, 2026

    Kalshi Loses Bid To Block Conn. Enforcement

    A Connecticut federal judge has denied a bid from KalshiEX to keep offering sports contracts while it pursues an appeal before the Second Circuit, finding the prediction market's arguments for a stay had already been rejected by the court and that it has not shown it is likely to win on appeal.

  • August 17, 2026

    Doxo To Pay FTC $2.1M Over Misleading Ads And Fees

    Doxo will pay $2.1 million to settle Federal Trade Commission claims that the online bill pay service and two co-founders misled consumers about fees and used deceptive advertising to impersonate billers, the commission announced on Monday, after a Washington federal judge granted partial summary judgment earlier this year.

  • August 17, 2026

    Home Sauna Kit Burned Consumer, Suit Says

    A New Jersey woman said in a suit filed Friday in Garden State federal court that the water tank in a personal steam sauna suddenly exploded while she was using it, which caused severe and painful burns.

  • August 17, 2026

    FCC Turns Down Bid To Revisit Campaign Ad Pricing Policy

    The Federal Communications Commission declined a petition asking it to reconsider guidance the agency put out earlier this year about political ads, saying the "central premise" of the request was "wrong many times over."

  • August 17, 2026

    Blue States Say FTC Can't Regulate Trans Youth Health

    A group of left-leaning states, including Massachusetts and California, asked a Texas federal court to toss a Federal Trade Commission suit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, saying Monday that the FTC's suit constitutes a "federal attack on state-regulated transgender healthcare."

  • August 17, 2026

    AIG Exclusion Doesn't Bar Multiplied Damages, Judge Says

    A California federal judge in a narrow ruling declared that a portion of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan's insurance policy does not automatically bar coverage for a portion of a $581 million False Claims Act settlement attributable to multiplied damages, but will decide later whether the agreement actually included such damages. 

  • August 17, 2026

    Paramount Wants AGs, WGA To Pay $1.9B Merger Suit Bond

    Paramount Skydance Corp. put a price tag Monday on waiting until next year to close its planned $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, asking a California federal judge to impose an approximately $1.9 billion bond requirement on the Democratic attorneys general and the Writers Guild of America challenging the deal.

  • August 17, 2026

    Pornhub To Pay $120M To End Child Abuse Content Cases

    The companies behind adult entertainment website Pornhub have agreed to make extensive policy changes and pay $120 million to end certified class claims in California and Alabama by child sex trafficking and sexual abuse material survivors who allege the website profited from crimes committed against them.

  • August 17, 2026

    Honda Civic Seat Belt Design Caused Teen's Death, Suit Says

    Honda was hit with a wrongful death suit in New Jersey state court alleging that the rear seat belt system in its 2017 Civic models was defectively designed and caused the death of an 18-year-old state resident in a crash.

Expert Analysis

  • How A Founder's AI Pitch Deck Can Become A Crime Scene

    Author Photo

    As recent indictments and prosecutions against tech executives illustrate, AI washing is a criminal enforcement priority, not a regulatory formality, highlighting the importance of ensuring that founders don't overstate what their artificial intelligence does, particularly in the initial pitch deck to investors, says attorney Alan N. Walter.

  • How Hantavirus May Expand Cruise Ship Liability Concerns

    Author Photo

    In an incident like the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship, application of maritime negligence principles may expand beyond environmental exposure considerations to encompass how operators identify, respond to and manage emerging infectious disease risks in real time, says Eric Shane at Leesfield & Partners.

  • Direct Fed Payment Access Finally In Sight For Fintechs

    Author Photo

    A recent executive order and a Federal Reserve proposal could finally allow direct payment system access for fintechs and other nonbanks, potentially reducing reliance on sponsor banks and reshaping competition, as well as prompting organizations to reassess partnership strategies as litigation and rulemaking unfold, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Reducing Youth Product Risks When No Standards Apply

    Author Photo

    As juvenile product manufacturers and retailers face heightened U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission enforcement actions and attendant litigation risks, companies must not only comply with applicable standards, but also confront the problem of how to protect themselves when there are no standards to comply with, say attorneys at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

  • How FCA, FCPA Risks Are Shifting As Feds Pull Back

    Author Photo

    As the federal government continues its retreat from white collar enforcement, companies should expect False Claims Act risk to grow through private whistleblower suits and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act scrutiny to shift toward foreign prosecutors, requiring more adaptability as accountability becomes less centralized, says Temidayo Aganga-Williams at Selendy Gay.

  • New State AI Laws Create Dual Misrepresentation Risk

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence transparency laws are enacted across the country and the volume and specificity of compliance records increase, companies will be required to speak more often, more precisely and to more audiences about the same systems, compounding the risk of litigation, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

  • Fla. Driver Ruling Shows Renewed Focus On Privacy Standing

    Author Photo

    A Florida federal court's recent dismissal of a class action alleging that private driving records had been improperly used in violation of the Driver's Privacy Protection Act suggests that companies defending against privacy class actions in Florida may reconsider Article III challenges at the dismissal stage, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • PowerSchool Data Breach Ruling Underscores PE Liability

    Author Photo

    The recent California federal court decision in PowerSchool, where Bain Capital was unable to dismiss claims relating to a data breach based in part on Bain's preinvestment activities, is an important addition to the line of cases addressing investor liability for acts of a portfolio company, says Mark Kelley at MoloLamken.

  • Unpacking The Take It Down Act's Compliance Ambiguities

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission’s recent guidance concerning the Take It Down Act suggests that covered platforms should build removal systems immediately and prioritize compliance, but until courts or regulators provide additional clarity, companies will be navigating a statutory framework that is urgent and uncertain, says Laura-Kate Bernstein at ZwillGen.

  • What Colorado AI Law's Major Rewrite Means For Employers

    Author Photo

    Colorado's landmark law regulating employers' use of artificial intelligence tools was recently replaced with a narrower regime that eliminates many burdensome obligations, but still imposes a host of requirements focused on transparency and accountability, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • A Look At The Court's Next Steps In Live Nation Antitrust Case

    Author Photo

    Following a recent jury verdict that Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly to fix ticket prices, a New York federal court stands to weigh Live Nation's bid for a new trial, approve the U.S. Department of Justice's March settlement with the defendants, and impose remedies that include full structural separation, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • Checking For AI Errors Is Now A Two-Way Street

    Author Photo

    A handful of recent federal and state cases demonstrate the importance of checking for errors generated by artificial intelligence not only in your own court submissions, but also your opponent's, as well as when catching opposing counsel's AI mistakes could result in an award for attorney fees, says Tamara Barago at Hollingsworth.

  • Lessons For Banks From Recent FCA Enforcement Trends

    Author Photo

    While government relief programs rely on financial institutions in times of economic uncertainty, recent enforcement shows that a government partnership may not protect banks from liability involving False Claims Act missteps, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Shoring Up Corporate Law In Maryland

    Author Photo

    Launched more than 20 years ago to improve complex corporate adjudication, Maryland's Business and Technology Case Management Program has been a solid success in some areas, but there always is room for improvement, says Bill Krulak at Miles & Stockbridge.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Consumer Protection archive.