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Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
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June 17, 2026
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
By: Nicole Kardell
Note the below chart was updated on June 17, 2026 to reflect recent developments. The number of U.S. states that have adopted privacy laws grows regularly. Fortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of crossover, at least when it comes to thresholds that companies must meet in order to trigger compliance requirements. We provide below a chart that summarizes these thresholds by state, including whether non-profits are exempted from compliance (a fairly common question we are asked). We also encourage you to review periodically the IAPPs useful tracker for state-by-state developments. Updated June 17, 2026
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I Predict the FTC and Class Action Plaintiffs May Have a Problem with Prediction Market Influencers
June 11, 2026
I Predict the FTC and Class Action Plaintiffs May Have a Problem with Prediction Market Influencers
By: Michelle Cohen
Prediction markets are the hottest topic in gaming right now. Industry leaders Kalshi and Polymarket have provided substantial fodder for debates at the summer gaming conferences, in the gaming trade press, and in mainstream media. Most of that discussion focuses on state versus federal regulation, an issue that the U.S. Supreme Court will likely need to resolve. In the interim, as they promote their platforms…
Meta’s Bay State Blues: Mass. High Court Finds Another Crack in the Section 230 Shield
April 20, 2026
Meta’s Bay State Blues: Mass. High Court Finds Another Crack in the Section 230 Shield
By: Robert Ward
Meta’s Bay State Blues: Mass. High Court Finds Another Crack in the Section 230 Shield Mere weeks after juries in California and New Mexico returned multi-million-dollar verdicts against Meta Platforms, Inc., the social media company suffered another defeat. On April 10, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) rejected the social media company’s attempt to raise Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as a shield…
Keeping Your Privacy Promises: Retail Tracking and Opt-Out Choices
May 26, 2015
Keeping Your Privacy Promises: Retail Tracking and Opt-Out Choices
By: Michelle Cohen
As children, many of us were taught how important it is to “keep your word.” Similarly, it is black letter privacy law that if a company commits (for instance, in a privacy policy or in website statements) to certain actions or practices, such as maintaining certain security features or implementing consumers’ choices on opt-outs, the organization must abide by those practices. Many companies have…
Yelp Fights for the Right to Complain Anonymously
May 20, 2015
Yelp Fights for the Right to Complain Anonymously
By: Ifrah Law
In e-commerce, user reviews can make or break a business. Review sites such as Yelp are a double edged sword for merchants and service providers: on one hand satisfied customers can generate buzz about the company and bring in new customers, and on the other hand dissatisfied customers can use it as a very public platform to air their grievances and discourage new business….
Even In The UK, Think Twice Before Using Celebrity Endorsements
April 13, 2015
Even In The UK, Think Twice Before Using Celebrity Endorsements
By: Ifrah Law
Photo at vi.wikipedia.org A recent legal case in the UK between singer Rihanna and fashion retailer Topshop has highlighted differences between publicity rights in the UK and some US jurisdictions. Rihanna sued Topshop for its sale of a t-shirt bearing a large photograph of her. Rihanna had not approved or endorsed the sale of the t-shirt; rather, an independent photographer had taken the picture and licensed…
Telemarketing Tips: What We Can Learn From Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Excursion With The FTC
April 2, 2015
Telemarketing Tips: What We Can Learn From Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Excursion With The FTC
By: Michelle Cohen
The FTC’s “Do Not Call” and “robocall” rules do not apply to political survey calls. So, if Hillary Clinton sought to “voice blast” a survey about international issues, she could do so without violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule (“TSR”). (Though under FCC rules she would have an issue calling wireless numbers). However, companies may not telemarket under the guise of exempt political calls. Caribbean…
Why the FTC Can Go After Companies For Insufficient Data Security Allegations
March 6, 2015
Why the FTC Can Go After Companies For Insufficient Data Security Allegations
By: Jeffrey Hamlin
FTC seems more confident than ever in its authority to go after companies with insufficient data security measures. As of January 2015, FTC had settled 53 data-security enforcement actions, and FTC Senior Attorney Lesley Fair expects that number to increase. Not everyone is sanguine about FTC’s enforcement efforts. Companies targeted for administrative action complain that the Commission is acting beyond its delegated powers under…
