The AG Alliance Roundup August 27, 2020

Announcements, information and updates from the AG Alliance Members and Associates

August 27, 2020

UPCOMING VIRTUAL SESSIONS

COVID-19 Recovery Fees and Other Surcharges:

A Consumer Protection Discussion

Moderated By Attorney General William Tong (CT)

Thursday, September 24th

1 - 1:30pm ET

Panelists:

Ted Rossman, Industry Analyst, Creditcards.com
Chief Deputy or Consumer Protection Division staffer, AGO pending

A surcharge is any fee imposed on top of the advertised price of goods or services. Recently, there has been focus in the press and social media on surcharges associated with COVID-19 recovery, but surcharges take many forms in the economy.

This session will help Attorneys General and attendees understand and structure the appropriate consumer protection framework through which to view surcharging, and will address:

When is surcharging appropriate? Should surcharges be capped? How to define reasonable limits?
How and when should a surcharge be disclosed to consumers? Should the full price inclusive of surcharges always be displayed? When is it reasonable to expect consumers to “do the math”?
What legal obligations or “best practices” should businesses follow before assessing a surcharge on consumers?

Registration

HOT TOPICS

CYBERSECURITY

SDX Central

If there’s any silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic, the consensus among cybersecurity professionals interviewed over the past few months is that it amplified the need for a strong security posture — and skilled security professionals.

TRAFFICKING

Herald News

Disrupt, dismantle and destroy -- what Timothy Shea says is the guiding principle of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA.) Shea says it’s his mission to take down drug gangs that peddle narcotics.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTIONS

VICTIM PROTECTION

Hawaii AG Connors joined a coalition of state and territorial attorneys general representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories urging Congress to adopt key changes to the Victims of Crime Act that provide critical financial support to victims of violent crimes and their families.

DATA PRIVACY

New information has surfaced in a lawsuit involving Google's data collection and location-tracking practices, including statements by the company's own engineers that its privacy settings were confusing to both users and employees. Arizona AG Brnovich's office sued Google in May, accusing the company of deceiving users about when and how it tracked their locations and continuing to track them even after they tried to opt out.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Florida AG Moody along with attorneys general from 47 other states and territories, reached an agreement with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Honda of America Mfg., Inc. to secure payment to the states of more than $85 million. Complaint - Consent Judgment

D.C. AG Racine filed suit against the parent company of Washington Sports Club (WSC), Town Sports International, LLC (TSI), for failing to abide by promises made to gym members while its facilities were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Texas AG Paxton warned that state law prohibits price gouging during a declared disaster, in the wake of Tropical Storms Laura and Marco.

Kansas AG Schmidt warned consumers to be wary of "sweetheart deals."

FINTECH

Colorado AG Weiser established "safe harbor" for fintech.

STUDENT PROTECTION

The Consumer Brands Association launched the Clean Classroom Calculator to give educators, administrators and legislators an estimate of the disinfecting products PK-12 schools will need to properly protect against COVID-19.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The Verizon Response Team is on the ground in Northern California and Colorado, monitoring wildfire, deploying mobile assets in some of the hardest hit areas to support first responders and relief organizations

SPORTS BETTING

American Gaming Association: Join the gaming industry in encouraging customers to Have a Game Plan during this year's Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW) from September 13-19, 2020.

CONSUMER FINANCE

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a consent order against Go Direct Lenders, Inc. (Go Direct), a California corporation that is licensed as a mortgage broker or lender in about 11 states.

The CFPB issued a request for information (RFI) to examine the impact of the rules that implement the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act Rules).

The CFPB also announced that it will provide an additional 60 days for public comment on its Request for Information (RFI) on how best to create a regulatory environment that expands access to credit and ensures that all consumers and communities are protected from discrimination in all aspects of a credit transaction.

ENTERTAINMENT

Lowe's will bring New York Fashion Week home with sophisticated décor "edits" curated through the design lenses of today's design icons, set to be revealed at midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 8.