Latest Consumer affairs News
FTC orders 8 companies to provide information on 'surveillance pricing' practices
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission has ordered information from eight companies that the agency says offer products and services that use personal data to set prices based on a shopper’s individual characteristics. In a Tuesday announcement, the FTC said it was seeking...
Nigeria fines Meta $220 million for violating data protection and consumer rights laws
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's government on Friday announced a fine of $220 million on Meta, saying its investigations found “multiple and repeated” violations of the country's data protection and consumer rights laws on Facebook and WhatsApp. A statement from Nigeria’s...
Air travel is getting worse. That's what passengers are telling the US government
WASHINGTON (AP) — Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the U.S. government is any measure. The Transportation Department said Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The...
Vermont Legislature overrides governor, passing overdose prevention, renewable energy, tax measures
The Democratic-controlled Vermont Legislature on Monday overturned a number of the Republican governor's vetoes, passing measures to prevent drug overdoses, restrict a pesticide that's toxic to bees and to require state utilities to source all renewable energy by 2035. But the...
Vermont governor vetoes data privacy bill, saying state would be most hostile to businesses
Vermont’s governor has vetoed a broad data privacy bill that would have been one of the strongest in the country to crack down on companies’ use of online personal data by letting consumers file civil lawsuits against companies that break certain privacy rules. Republican Gov....
What the new 'buy now, pay later' rule means for small businesses offering the service
NEW YORK (AP) — “Buy now, pay later” services are a popular way that shoppers pay for goods. The payment plan is usually marketed as zero-interest, or low interest, and allows consumers to spread out payments for purchases over several weeks or months. Because...
More people make 'no-buy year' pledges as overspending or climate worries catch up with them
NEW YORK (AP) — A 35-year-old Brooklyn resident gave up buying new clothes. A 22-year old in San Diego swore off retail therapy at Target. A 26-year old in England banned carbonated drinks from her shopping list. These three women, who don’t know each other, all started the year...
Buy now, pay later companies must adhere to credit card standards, consumer agency says
NEW YORK (AP) — Buy now, pay later companies must provide consumers with the same legal rights and protections as credit card lenders do, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday in a new rule. That includes the right to demand a refund and to dispute transactions....
Vermont Legislature passes one of the strongest data privacy measures in the country
The Democrat-controlled Vermont legislature has passed one of the strongest data privacy measures in the country aimed at cracking down on companies' use of online personal data, which would let consumers file civil lawsuits against companies that break certain privacy rules. ...
Consumer groups push Congress to uphold automatic refunds for airline passengers
Consumer groups are pushing Congress to uphold automatic refunds for airline passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed for several hours. Just last week, the Transportation Department announced a rule requiring airlines to pay quick and automatic refunds. President Joe Biden...
