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Cal. High Court Softens Draconian Arbitration Fee Rule
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August 19, 2025
Cal. High Court Softens Draconian Arbitration Fee Rule
By: Robert Ward
California law has often tested just how much room the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) leaves for states to regulate consumer arbitration agreements. Last week, in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court,[1] the California Supreme Court determined that at least one claimant-favoring provision of the California Arbitration Act (CAA), California Code of Civil Procedure § 1281.98 comes close to, but does not cross, that line. At the same time, to avoid preemption, the court offered businesses some relief from the unforgiving interpretation applied by many California courts. Section 1281.98 requires the party who drafts an arbitration agreement—in the consumer context, the company—to pay all required fees within thirty days of receiving the arbitration provider’s invoice.[2] If the company fails to pay the fees…
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Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
July 30, 2025
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
By: Nicole Kardell
Note the below chart was updated on July 24, 2025 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…
Fame, FTC, and Fine Print: Navigating Advertising Rules in an Evolving Landscape
May 12, 2025
Fame, FTC, and Fine Print: Navigating Advertising Rules in an Evolving Landscape
By: Abbey Block
Ryan Seacrest is most well-known for his role as the charismatic host of popular television shows like American Idol and Wheel of Fortune. But more recently, Seacrest has taken on a new business venture, becoming the spokesperson for the social casino platform, Chumba Casino. Chumba Casino, launched in 2012, allows players to engage in online casino-style games. Seacrest began his partnership with the brand in…
New Year Brings New Plans by the FTC to Take Down Deceptive Weight Loss Advertisers
January 8, 2014
New Year Brings New Plans by the FTC to Take Down Deceptive Weight Loss Advertisers
By: Ifrah Law
New year, new resolutions. Yesterday, the FTC announced a resolution of its own: to undertake a nationwide enforcement effort to protect consumers against deceptive weight loss claims. Dubbed “Operation Failed Resolution,” the FTC’s latest enforcement effort seeks to protect consumers who face a barrage of “opportunistic marketers” promising quick ways to shed pounds. According to the FTC, these marketing tactics cause millions of dollars of…
Botnet ZeroAccess Hit With Complaint by Microsoft, but Will This Slow the Malware Industry Down?
December 19, 2013
Botnet ZeroAccess Hit With Complaint by Microsoft, but Will This Slow the Malware Industry Down?
By: Ifrah Law
ZeroAccess is one of the world’s largest botnets – a network of computers infected with malware to trigger online fraud. Recently, after having eluded investigators for months, ZeroAccess was disrupted by Microsoft and law enforcement agencies. Earlier this month, armed with a court order and law enforcement help overseas, Microsoft took steps to cut off communication links to the European-based servers considered the mega-brain for…
Parameters of CDA Immunity Being Tested by Appeals Court in Jones v. Dirty World Entertainment
December 16, 2013
Parameters of CDA Immunity Being Tested by Appeals Court in Jones v. Dirty World Entertainment
By: Ifrah Law
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is currently hearing an appeal of a district court decision, which if upheld would have enormous ramifications for freedom of speech and the online service provider safe harbor under the Communications Decency Act (CDA). TheDirty.com is a website run by Nik Lamas-Richie. The site allows users to submit gossip about anyone or anything and the site…
Report From FTC Briefing – Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content?
December 5, 2013
Report From FTC Briefing – Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content?
By: Ifrah Law
The FTC held a workshop on Wednesday to examine the blurring lines of advertisements and content in digital media today. Executives from a myriad of professions gathered to discuss how sponsored content in digital publications takes form and affects the consumer. Native advertising, or sponsored content, is the practice of masking advertising to look like news articles and features of the publications where they appear….
FTC Vigilant on Children’s Privacy – Rejects Proposal for Collecting Verifiable Parental Consent Under COPPA
November 20, 2013
FTC Vigilant on Children’s Privacy – Rejects Proposal for Collecting Verifiable Parental Consent Under COPPA
By: Michelle Cohen
On November 12, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), in a 4-0 vote, denied AssertID’s application for approval of a proposed verifiable parental consent (“VPC”) method under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“COPPA”). Under the FTC’s COPPA rule, covered online websites and services must obtain “verifiable parental consent” (“VPC”) before collecting personal information from children under 13. The agency’s revised COPPA rule became effective…
