The world’s most popular health & wellness website recently made headlines after being accused of violating California’s consumer privacy laws: Healthline Pays $1.55M for CCPA Violations. Healthline was accused of violating the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the $1.55 million fine represents the largest monetary penalty ever issued for a CCPA violation.
A federal court in California recently issued a key ruling in an important, potentially precedent-setting case, and court observers and legal experts are now asking: Did Rack Room Shoes violate federal wiretap law? The pre-trial ruling, issued by the U.S. District Court for the California Northern District, might have implications for the future of consumer privacy laws nationwide. The case, Smith v.
Tauler Smith LLP recently filed a consumer class action complaint against Walgreens because the retail behemoth is allegedly selling Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride (Phenazo), an unapproved over-the-counter UTI drug, to unsuspecting customers in violation of California’s consumer protection laws.
A California court granted Tauler Smith LLP’s motion to dismiss without leave to amend in a deceptive pricing class action alleging mislabeling of THC potency. The plaintiffs specifically alleged that the cannabinoid content in the defendant’s infused joints did not match what was on label. Tauler Smith’s skilled Los Angeles class action defense attorneys filed a demurrer to the class action based on the discrepancy between the plaintiffs’ purchases and the potency tests that formed the basis of plaintiffs’ claims.
Federal law on automatic renewals has gotten stronger and more far-reaching in recent years. This has come in response to states like California that have started to take the lead when it comes to protecting consumers against deceptive advertising and business fraud. There are several prominent laws at both the California state level and the federal level that govern retail subscription programs and automatic renewal programs, including the FTC Rule on Automatic Renewals.
In a recent on-air report, NBC News spoke to attorney Robert Tauler about California’s Automatic Renewal Law (ARL). The impetus for the story was a lawsuit filed by Los Angeles law firm Tauler Smith LLP on behalf of a consumer who accused a casting company of automatically renewing his subscription to their service without notice or authorization. Many consumers find that it is incredibly difficult to cancel their subscriptions after they sign up for a service or make what they intended to be a one-time purchase online.
In a recent employment law matter filed in Los Angeles, Tauler Smith LLP won a motion for terminating sanctions. Los Angeles litigation attorney Wendy Miele represented a media production company that was being sued by a former contractor who worked as a personal assistant for the company.
Amazon recently reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), agreeing to pay $31 million in civil penalties for consumer privacy violations associated with the company’s Alexa voice assistant devices and Ring doorbell cameras. The DOJ alleged that Amazon engaged in a number of unreasonable privacy practices, ultimately resulting in an FTC settlement involving Amazon’s Alexa, Ring security cameras, and privacy laws.
Many companies that offer shipping insurance on e-commerce sites are violating California insurance laws, which have strict requirements about who is allowed to offer insurance and how that insurance can be offered. Moreover, California’s insurance laws can serve as a predicate for civil lawsuits brought under other statutes, including the California Unfair Competition Law (UCL). When it comes to shipping insurance claims and the UCL, there is strong legal precedent in favor of consumers who are charged for insurance by an unlicensed agent.
California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) is one of the most important consumer protection laws in the country. California courts tend to interpret the UCL broadly so that it applies to a wide range of unethical business practices. The statute explicitly prohibits companies from engaging in unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business actions. It also prohibits companies from using false advertising.