On May 11, 2026, the Washington attorney general (AG) settled with Homeaglow Inc. d/b/a Dazzling Cleaning (Homeaglow), a cleaning service company, and related parties, for $2.25 million over alleged violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act for unfair and deceptive advertising and negative option membership practices.
On May 15, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit partially blocked Maryland’s new “greenwashing” law for retail electricity suppliers. Holding that the statute’s core advertising restriction likely violates the First Amendment, the court ordered a preliminary injunction against the provision limiting use of terms like “clean,” “green,” and “100% renewable” if the legislature’s specified conditions were not met. In contrast, the court remanded for further proceedings on Maryland’s newly issued disclosure requirements. The decision underscores the constitutional limits on how far states can go in policing environmental marketing claims — limits that are relevant to companies both in and outside the energy sector.
The New York Attorney General’s (AG) Office announced a $5 million settlement with Uphold HQ Inc. (Uphold), a cryptocurrency platform that allows users to buy, sell, and trade digital assets. The settlement resolves allegations that Uphold misleadingly promoted Cred Inc.’s now‑bankrupt investment product, CredEarn, to its customers as a safe, savings‑style vehicle.
For years, we have written (here, here, here, and here) about the decade-long effort to vacate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to “deem” premium cigars covered by FDA’s 2016 rule (the Deeming Rule), which swept all tobacco products under FDA authority. On April 15, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order that it characterized as “(hopefully) … the final chapter” in the litigation over how FDA regulates premium cigars. The parties have 30 days to appeal the order, but, if not, the order will stand.
On April 20, 2026, Attorney General (AG) Brian Schwalb announced that Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, will pay $9.9 million to resolve allegations of deceptive ticket pricing and hidden fees affecting District of Columbia consumers. The settlement provides millions in refunds to D.C. ticket buyers and requires Live Nation to maintain reforms that ensure upfront disclosure of full ticket prices.
On April 13, a bipartisan coalition of more than two dozen state attorneys general (AGs) submitted a comment letter supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule targeting so-called “junk fees” in the residential rental market. The coalition’s letter reflects growing concern that alleged undisclosed or misleading rental fees are worsening housing affordability and confusing consumers nationwide.
Regulators have been steadily tightening the screws on “junk fees” across the economy — from hotel resort fees to “service” and other charges when buying live event tickets. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rule on unfair or deceptive fees (FTC’s Fees Rule), which took effect on May 12, 2025, is a centerpiece of that effort, requiring businesses to show consumers the full price up front. The latest enforcement action targets one of the biggest players in the live event ticketing market: StubHub.
On March 11, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on negative option marketing. The ANPRM restarts the agency’s effort to regulate subscriptions and automatic renewals after the Eighth Circuit vacated the prior “Click to Cancel” rule, from the Biden administration era, on procedural grounds. Comments are due 30 days after Federal Register publication.
On February 5, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a major change in how the agency will regulate claims about artificial colors in foods.
California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta recently announced a consent judgment resolving allegations that the Pacific American Fish Company, Inc. (PAFCO), a seafood distributor and processor, had sold frozen seafood products with elevated levels of lead and cadmium in California without the warnings required by state law.