Intelligence

The United States Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC fundamentally alters freight broker liability by eliminating a longstanding federal preemption defense. How will this ruling reshape carrier selection practices and expose brokers to increased negligent hiring claims across the nation?

BBB National Programs has announced that TikTok has established a dedicated reporting channel with the National Advertising Division (NAD), joining Meta and Google in facilitating the removal of advertising that NAD has determined should be modified or discontinued. This arrangement creates a more direct path for bringing non-compliant advertisements to TikTok's attention and reflects a broader trend of convergence between private advertising self-regulation and platform enforcement.

On July 14, 2026, Hawaii enacted HB 2137, which prohibits the publication of a realistic digital imitation of an identifiable individual without that individual’s permission in advertising (or where such publication causes harm or is used to commit fraud, defamation, harassment, or other criminal acts). However, early drafts of this law referenced and outlined the permitted uses of synthetic performers in advertising, similar to newly passed laws in New York and California.

California has enacted a groundbreaking AI disclosure law requiring advertisers to clearly identify when synthetic performers appear in their marketing materials. The legislation, set to take effect in 2027, includes a private right of enforcement that could potentially open the door to class action litigation against brands using AI-generated performers without proper disclosure.

The Federal Communications Commission has eliminated the National Television Audience Reach Cap, which previously prevented entities from owning broadcast TV stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households. The agency will now conduct case-by-case public interest reviews of transactions that would have exceeded this threshold, fundamentally changing how broadcast television consolidation is evaluated.

On January 1, 2026, Texas’s newest law addressing the growing issues of data privacy and the use of Artificial Intelligence went into effect. The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA) was passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2025.