42 state attorneys general joined forces in a bipartisan National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) letter to Congress, backing the United States Surgeon General’s recent call for Congress to require a surgeon general’s...more
Last week we attended the National Association of Attorneys General 2024 Presidential Initiative Summit in Portland Oregon, titled “America’s Youth: AGs Looking Out for the Next Generation.” Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum...more
On June 27, 2023, the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act (INFORM Act) went into effect. As we have previously written, the INFORM Act aims to deter criminals from selling...more
Junk fees have made, and continue to make, state attorney general headlines with recent actions by Maryland and Rhode Island relating to consumer transportation. The rubber met the road when Maryland Attorney General Anthony...more
In June, we summarized a number of new and pending laws specifically designed to regulate how companies display prices and fees. Although it’s important for companies to focus on those, we also noted that even in states...more
Last week, a coalition of 22 state AGs filed an amicus brief in support of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cease-and-desist order that prohibits tax software giant Intuit (the creator of TurboTax) from certain advertising...more
As we previously reported, the California AG’s office recently provided clarification through FAQs on the California “hidden fee” law that amended the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, SB 478. Those FAQs articulated the position...more
Tim Griffin, Arkansas Attorney General, did not mince words when he filed a lawsuit against the parent companies of Temu, stating in a press release, “Temu is not an online marketplace like Amazon or Walmart. It is a...more
The Attorney General Alliance (AGA) hosted its 2024 Annual Meeting this June, bringing together State AGs, staff, and industry for discussions on a number of topics important to AGs, including AI (again), nonpartisan...more
For the past several years, state AGs have been “checked-in” when it comes to hidden hotel and resort fees. (Revisit our round-up of AG actions against those fees here). To date, these enforcers have largely relied on their...more
Consumer protection enforcers may be on the lookout for misleading hotel and resort rates and fees this summer travel season. This includes state attorneys general (AGs), who have announced multiple lawsuits and settlements...more
Cannabinoids have been a popular topic of conversation for regulators as the cannabis landscape continues to evolve. Since the days of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement and related investigations, Attorneys General...more
“Everyone dies.” This was the first line in the California Attorney General’s 2021 complaint against the nation’s largest funeral service provider, Service Corporation International (“SCI”). Earlier this month, Attorney...more
Last week, State Attorneys General (AGs) and staff convened to discuss the hot topics in consumer protection in private and public sessions during the NAAG Consumer Protection Spring Conference. The Executive Director of...more
General Kris Mayes recently filed two new lawsuits against Amazon.
The first accuses Amazon of using “dark patterns,” or digital design tricks, that make it difficult for consumers to cancel their Prime subscriptions....more
This week, the California AG’s office released a set of FAQs on California’s law addressing hidden fees. As a reminder, the law states that the following practices will be unlawful under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act...more
Last year, California enacted a law which will generally require companies to include all mandatory fees when they advertise prices. Starting on July 1, 2024, the following practices will be unlawful...more
Last week in South Carolina, AGs, staff, and members of the community gathered for the AI and Preventing Child Exploitation Seminar, presented jointly by the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) and the National Association of...more
What trends are shaping consumer protection in 2024?
From kids on social media to fake reviews and junk fees, state AGs are working across state (and partisan) lines on initiatives that promise to mold the consumer...more
Last week, state attorneys general (AGs) gathered to discuss Nevada Attorney General and Attorney General Alliance Chair Aaron Ford’s Initiative, focusing on consumer protection education. Attendees heard from many panels...more
As we have previously reported, state attorneys general (AGs) have great interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and we do not see this stopping anytime soon. This time, our focus is on a bipartisan legislative proposal from...more
Last year, a trade association challenged aspirational claims that JBS – the world’s largest producer of beef products – was making about its commitment “to be net zero by 2040.” NAD determined that although the company had...more
Another week, another flag on so-called junk fees.
The FTC is in the midst of a months-long rulemaking targeting “unfair or deceptive fees” that would fundamentally alter the way businesses can advertise their prices to...more
As we have discussed, the NAAG President, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, formally announced her 2024 Presidential Initiative focusing on America’s youth. As we noted, this was consistent with a broader priority for...more
As New York lawmakers consider legislation that would give the Attorney General broad new powers to target “unfair” trade practices, we brought the first installment of our 2024 Attorney General Webinar Series to the Empire...more