Consumer Protection

  • December 02, 2024

    EPA Pitches Partial Ban On Food Crop Pesticide Chlorpyrifos

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it is proposing a rule to revoke tolerances over the use of chlorpyrifos on foods, a year after the Eighth Circuit said the agency hurriedly instituted a ban and didn't fulsomely consider the possibility of allowing some beneficial uses to continue.

  • December 02, 2024

    Gov't Owned Broadband Often Fails, Report Says

    A new report from an industry-backed think tank skewers government-owned broadband networks for purportedly relying on public resources to survive but operating inefficiently and competing unfairly against private internet service providers.

  • December 02, 2024

    X Escapes Former Twitter Security Head's Firing Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge has sent a former Twitter security chief's suit claiming he was fired for protesting massive budget cuts to arbitration, ruling that the claims fail under the provisions of the company's arbitration agreement.

  • December 02, 2024

    Apple, Google Hit With Class Claims Over Casino Apps

    Apple Inc., Google LLC and several online casino companies are operating an illegal gambling enterprise through "sweepstakes casino" apps and websites, in violation of New Jersey gaming laws, consumer protection statutes and federal racketeering laws, according to proposed class claims.

  • December 02, 2024

    Heritage's $10M Generic Drugs Deal With AGs Gets 1st OK

    A Connecticut federal judge gave his initial approval on Monday to Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s $10 million settlement agreement with state attorneys general to resolve allegations it took part in an anticompetitive, price-fixing scheme focused on generic drugs.

  • December 02, 2024

    'Pull The Plug': Broadband Program Wasteful, GOP Sen. Says

    The government's $42.5 billion program to deploy broadband to underserved locations throughout the U.S. should be stopped because it's wasting money hand over fist, according to a Republican senator.

  • December 02, 2024

    Porsche Taycan's EV Batteries Are Defective, Suit Says

    Porsche Cars NA Inc. is facing a proposed class action in Georgia federal court over allegations that it failed to disclose or adequately repair a defect in the 800V lithium-ion batteries in its Taycan electric vehicles for the model years 2020-2024.

  • December 02, 2024

    FCC Chair Makes Last-Ditch Plea For 'Rip And Replace'

    The Federal Communications Commission's chief called on key lawmakers to act soon to fund a program for securing telecom network equipment that faces a $3.08 billion shortage.

  • December 02, 2024

    Bankrupt Dental Co. To Repay Customers $4.8M, NY AG Says

    Dental telehealth company SmileDirectClub has agreed to pay $4.8 million in refunds to customers who were improperly charged after the company went bankrupt and shut down in 2023, according to a settlement announced Monday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

  • December 02, 2024

    Pool Co. Says Rival CEO Fled To China To Duck Paying $16M

    A bankrupt Chinese pool parts supplier has been accused by an American competitor of going to great lengths to skirt a $16 million false advertising and unfair business practices judgment in continued violation of court orders, including allegedly funneling assets and allowing its owner to flee to China.

  • November 27, 2024

    Google Wants 9th Circ. To Undo Play Store Ruling In Epic Row

    Google has pressed the Ninth Circuit to reverse an injunction forcing it to allow third-party app distribution on its Play Store, arguing that the lower court's ruling will "directly undercut Google's efforts to compete against Apple and the iPhone."

  • November 27, 2024

    Fla. Judge Halts School Board Depos In Book Ban Suit

    A Florida federal judge ordered a partial stay that temporarily halts depositions of Escambia County School Board members in a First Amendment challenge to a ban on certain books, but deferred staying the entire case until an appeal before the Eleventh Circuit is resolved.

  • November 27, 2024

    Prudential Website Visitors Get Class Cert. In Tracking Row

    A California federal judge has certified a class of life insurance quote seekers who are accusing Prudential Financial Inc. and its software vendor of illegally recording their keystrokes and information, finding that questions about website visitors' knowledge of this practice can be resolved on a classwide basis. 

  • November 27, 2024

    Law Firm's Ads Irrelevant To Toxic Tort Case, Plaintiffs Say

    Colorado residents suing a medical sterilization facility over alleged exposure to ethylene oxide have urged a state judge to reject the company's subpoena of Meta for documents about a plaintiffs law firm's advertising for the litigation, arguing the information is irrelevant and would invade their privacy.

  • November 27, 2024

    Zoom Offers SEC $18M To Settle 2020 Privacy Probe

    Zoom Communications disclosed in a U.S. Securities Exchange and Commission filing that it has offered $18 million to settle an agency investigation into "various security, data protection and privacy matters," including the videoconferencing platform's encryption.

  • November 27, 2024

    Amazon Judge Says Appeal Too Soon In Ongoing Privacy Suit

    A Washington federal judge has said he won't issue a final judgment to allow consumers to appeal his previous ruling tossing most of the claims in a suit alleging that palm scanners at joint Starbucks-Amazon stores violate biometric privacy law, because one of the plaintiffs has a remaining claim.

  • November 27, 2024

    GM, Cruise Say DPA Has No Bearing On Securities Fraud Suit

    General Motors and its driverless car unit Cruise LLC have told a Michigan federal judge that Cruise's deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over a San Francisco pedestrian accident doesn't help investors in a proposed securities fraud class action.

  • November 27, 2024

    Elon Musk Targets CFPB With Call To 'Delete' Agency

    Billionaire Elon Musk has called for abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, writing on his social media platform X — formerly known as Twitter — that the government should "Delete CFPB" and "there are too many duplicative regulatory agencies."

  • November 27, 2024

    Drake Says UMG Boosted Lamar's False 'Pedophile' Claim

    Despite knowing Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" single falsely accused Drake of being a "certified pedophile," Universal Music Group chose to boost the song across radio airwaves by potentially making illicit payments to iHeartMedia, the Canadian rapper alleged in Texas court the same day he made similar allegations in Manhattan.

  • November 27, 2024

    Cable Biz Urges FCC To Scrap Customer Service Reg Plan

    The cable lobby says the Federal Communications Commission should drop plans for new customer service rules on the industry because it lacks legal authority to impose the requirements.

  • November 27, 2024

    Texas Backs Off Title X Suit On Contraceptives To Minors

    Federal health officials are no longer enforcing a rule in Texas that tied funding to contraceptive access for minors, Texas officials told a court Tuesday as it asked to dismiss a suit it had filed against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • November 27, 2024

    32,000 Developers Certified As Class In Valve Antitrust Case

    A Washington federal court has certified a class of around 32,000 game developers in a case accusing Valve Corp. of blocking competition by enforcing pricing and other restrictions on games sold through its Steam platform.

  • November 27, 2024

    Fintech Co. Ingo, Consumers Reach Deal To End Breach Suit

    Fintech deposit underwriter Ingo Money Inc. has reached a handshake deal to settle proposed class action claims that for seven months it sat on news that hackers had gotten hold of a "gold mine" of customers' personal information.

  • November 27, 2024

    FCC Refers T-Mobile, UScellular Deal To Team Telecom

    The Federal Communications Commission has referred T-Mobile's anticipated $4.4 billion purchase of wireless operations from United States Cellular Corp. to the committee that vets foreign investment in the U.S. telecom market.

  • November 27, 2024

    FCC Gives Conditional OK For SpaceX Link To T-Mobile

    The Federal Communications Commission granted a license for SpaceX and T-Mobile's satellite internet partnership Tuesday, clearing the way for the two companies to offer direct-to-cellular service in rural and remote areas lacking in other wireless options.

Expert Analysis

  • Remedy May Be Google's Biggest Hurdle Yet In Antitrust Case

    Author Photo

    There are difficulties ahead in the remedies phase of the antitrust case against Google in District of Columbia federal court, including the search engine giant's scale advantage and the fast-moving nature of the tech industry, setting the stage for the most challenging of the proceedings so far, says Jonathan Rubin at MoginRubin.

  • 3 Ways To Limit Risks Of Black-Box AI In Financial Services

    Author Photo

    As regulators increasingly highlight the potential for artificial intelligence to make unfair consumer credit decisions, and require financial institutions to explain how these so-called black-box algorithms arrive at conclusions, companies should consider three key questions to reduce their regulatory risks from these tools, say Jeffrey Naimon and Caroline Stapleton at Orrick.

  • Takeaways From EU's 'Pay Or Consent' Advertising Probe

    Author Photo

    Anne-Gabrielle Haie and Charles Whiddington at Steptoe examine key points from the European Commission's recent investigation into Big Tech's use of "pay or consent" advertising models, as well as the European Data Protection Board’s opinion on how such models can comply with EU competition and data protection laws.

  • When Banks Unknowingly Become HIPAA Biz Associates

    Author Photo

    There appears to be significant confusion regarding the application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to financial institutions when serving healthcare-related clients, so these institutions should consider undertaking several steps as a starting point in the effort to achieve compliance, say attorneys at Vorys.

  • From Muppet Heads To OJ's Glove: How To Use Props At Trial

    Author Photo

    Demonstrative graphics have become so commonplace in the courtroom that jurors may start to find them boring, but attorneys can keep jurors engaged and improve their recall by effectively using physical props at trial, says Clint Townson at Townson Consulting.

  • Opinion

    The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

    Author Photo

    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Opting In To CIPA Risk Mitigation After New Precedent

    Author Photo

    A recent California federal court decision, adopting a new, broad interpretation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, will likely increase the volume of CIPA claims and should prompt businesses to undertake certain preventative measures, including adopting an opt-in approach to using third-party website advertising technologies, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

    Author Photo

    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • CFPB's Earned Wage Access Rule Marks Regulatory Shift

    Author Photo

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's newly issued interpretive rule on earned wage access products, classifying them as extensions of credit, marks a significant shift in their regulatory landscape and raises some important questions regarding potential fringe cases and legal challenges, say Erin Bryan and Courina Yulisa at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • What 7th Circ. Samsung Decision Means For Mass Arbitration

    Author Photo

    The Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Wallrich v. Samsung highlights the dilemma faced by mass arbitration filers in the face of nonpayment of arbitration fees by the defending party — but also suggests that there are risks for defendants in pursuing such a strategy, says Daniel Campbell at McDermott.

  • How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act

    Author Photo

    In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.

  • FTC Drives Crackdown On Connected Cars' Data Privacy Risk

    Author Photo

    After the Federal Trade Commission's warning to automakers about data privacy, which continues to emerge as a national concern, automakers must carefully examine their data collection, use and retention practices, say Catherine Castaldo and Michael Rubayo at Reed Smith.

  • Jarkesy May Thwart Consumer Agencies' Civil Penalty Power

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy not only implicates future SEC administrative adjudications, but those of other agencies that operate similarly — and may stymie regulators' efforts to levy civil monetary penalties in a range of consumer protection enforcement actions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How Courts Split On Damages Analysis In Automotive Suits

    Author Photo

    As high-profile vehicle recalls and lawsuits alleging vehicle defects surge, many plaintiffs are turning to choice-based conjoint analysis to calculate damages, but a review of federal district court decisions reveals a range of views on the validity of this methodology, say Joshua Hochberg and Shireen Meer at Berkeley Research.

  • Considerations As State AGs Step Up Privacy Enforcement

    Author Photo

    As new state privacy laws take effect, businesses are facing an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations and risk of scrutiny by attorneys general, but companies can gain a competitive edge by building consumer trust and staying ahead of regulatory trends, say Ann-Marie Luciano and Meghan Stoppel at Cozen O’Connor.

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.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!