State Attorneys General Share Consumer Protection Viewpoints In Chicago (Podcast)

New York City has enacted the nation's first municipal click-to-cancel rule, requiring businesses to provide clear disclosures, simple cancellation processes, and advance renewal notices for subscription services. With approximately 30 states already implementing similar regulations and the federal landscape in flux following the FTC's vacated rule, companies now face an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations. The rule takes effect October 1, 2026, and imposes penalties ranging from $525 t

The Federal Communications Commission has fundamentally altered how businesses must handle consumer opt-out requests under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, replacing the broad "revoke all" mandate with a more nuanced, category-specific approach for informational messages. This regulatory shift allows companies to maintain separate consent tracks for different types of non-marketing communications while preserving stricter opt-out requirements for telemarketing messages. The Updated Order introduces ne

The FTC and Washington state secured a record $225 million settlement from Amway and affiliated groups over allegations they misled recruits about earnings potential while pressuring them to buy products with little retail opportunity. The complaint reveals that over three-quarters of U.S. product volume was sold to IBOs themselves rather than retail customers, with fabricated sales reporting masking the recruitment-driven model. The settlement's injunctive provisions establish new standards for earnings cl

The Federal Trade Commission is exploring whether digital platforms should bear greater responsibility for preventing impersonation ads that falsely pose as legitimate businesses or government agencies. Through an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the agency seeks public input on potential amendments to its existing Impersonation Rule, examining how ad-optimization tools and platform practices...

State-law class actions targeting automatic renewal and subscription practices are accelerating, creating significant litigation risk for companies that rely on recurring revenue models. Recent settlements demonstrate that even technical compliance failures can lead to seven-figure exposure, with California, Illinois, and Virginia statutes driving the most aggressive litigation.

A federal court has issued a nationwide injunction blocking the NCAA from enforcing its new five-year eligibility rule against Division I athletes who graduated high school in 2022. The ruling creates immediate compliance challenges for athletic departments as they navigate roster management, revenue-sharing caps, and potential penalties while the NCAA appeals the decision.

Congress has introduced the Stop Spam Calls Act, directing the FCC to revise the definition of prior express written consent under the TCPA to require one-to-one seller consent and logical relevance between sellers and website content. This legislative move comes as the Fifth Circuit questions whether written consent is even required under the TCPA, creating a fascinating tension between congressional intent and judicial interpretation that could reshape telemarketing compliance.

Virginia's Cannabis Control Authority has released its initial draft of adult-use marijuana regulations, outlining application fees, license caps, and the approval process for the state's anticipated July 2027 launch of recreational cannabis sales. While the draft provides crucial details on licensing requirements and ownership restrictions, significant questions remain about the application timeline and evaluation criteria that will determine which entities receive coveted permits.

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a proposed enforcement policy statement targeting businesses that use consumer personal data to set individualized prices. While acknowledging it cannot prohibit all personalized pricing, the FTC warns that companies may violate federal law if they fail to clearly disclose their use of personal data in pricing decisions.

A federal court in Maryland dismissed both TCPA claims against debt collector TrueAccord, ruling that debt collection calls don't qualify as marketing solicitations under DNC rules and that the company's dialing system doesn't meet the definition of an automatic telephone dialing system. The decision reinforces the distinction between debt collection communications and marketing calls under federal telecommunications law.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which directs the President to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on Russian imports and up to 100 percent on imports from countries that are significant purchasers of Russian energy. The bill includes provisions for Presidential waiver authority and a five-year sunset clause...

California's 2026 legislative session concluded with Governor Newsom signing several landmark privacy and AI bills into law, including comprehensive child safety measures, AI auditor oversight frameworks, and expanded data protection requirements. How will these new regulations reshape digital advertising, workplace AI deployment, and online platform obligations for businesses operating in California?

The Federal Communications Commission has unanimously approved sweeping changes to its Telephone Consumer Protection Act consent revocation rules, fundamentally altering how businesses must handle consumer opt-out requests for calls and texts. These new regulations replace the controversial 2024 "revoke all" rule with more flexible options that allow companies to designate exclusive opt-out methods while distinguishing between marketing and informational messages.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has advanced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would fundamentally restructure Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, marking the most significant regulatory overhaul in over 20 years. The proposed changes would shift the consultation process from a multi-step framework to an agency-prepared report system, narrow the scope of protected properties, and grant federal agencies greater unilateral authority in resolving adverse effects.

If you’re a dealer, an ad agency handling automotive accounts, or in-house counsel advising automotive clients, the Commission’s latest guidance on auto pricing transparency deserves a careful read. The guidance echoes familiar principles we’ve heard in other areas from federal and state regulators related to the expectation for all-in pricing, with important nuances unique to the auto industry.

On November 21, 2023, the Treasury Department, through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)...

Today, the European Union imposed a ban on the provision of specialized financial messaging services, including SWIFT interbank messaging network services, to seven Russian banks.

Today, the European Union announced that it would close EU airspace to all Russian-owned, Russian registered, or Russian-controlled aircraft, including private aircraft owned by the Russian elite.

Polymarket faces multiple lawsuits alleging deceptive influencer marketing practices, including undisclosed paid endorsements and staged betting videos on fake platform copies. A new class action complaint claims content creators filmed winning bets on simulated Polymarket websites built by the company, with some videos allegedly showing fabricated results that would have resulted in significant losses on the real platform.

On September 11, 2023, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Financial Trend Analysis detailing trends in suspected evasion of export controls on Russia.