Category Archives: Latest In Consumer News
Online Payday Lenders Are Often ‘Fraudulent and Abusive,’ Study Finds
by Herb Weisbaum, Today
Consumer advocates have long advised against payday loans because of the steep fees and the lump-sum repayment requirement. Pew’s research shows that the average person who takes out one of these two-week loans is actually in debt for five months of the year. This new report makes it clear that the potential for problems is much greater when the transaction takes place online rather than at a store. And if something does go wrong, it’s often a lot harder to deal with it. If you have a problem with an online payday lender, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Read More ›
Brown Signs Package of Assisted-Living Reform Bills
by Deborah Schoch, The CHCF Center for Health Reporting / The California Report
Brown’s signature is a major victory for assisted living residents, “We look at it as a good start,” said Patricia McGinnis, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform. “But we’re not finished by any stretch of the imagination. And I don’t think the legislators are, either. I think they like the fact that they’re going to be changing people’s lives on an immediate basis.” The governor has approved all 13 assisted living bills passed by the Legislature. Read More ›
California Enacts Strict Student Privacy Law
by the Associated Press, in the San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the nation’s toughest student privacy rights protections into law. SB 1177 (Steinberg) makes companies responsible for protecting any personal information that they gather from K-12 students through websites, online applications and other services. The data can be used only for school purposes, and students’ personal information cannot be sold. Consumer Federation of California Executive Director Richard Holober called the law “the vanguard for consumer rights in the digital era. Until this point, protecting students’ online information has been a Wild West.” Read More ›
What We’re Learning About Drug Company Payments to Doctors
by Charles Ornstein, Ryann Grochowski Jones and Eric Sagara (ProPublica), The New York Times
The federal government Tuesday is to release details of payments to doctors by every pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturer in the country, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act, including payments to doctors, dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists and optometrists for things like promotional speaking, consulting, meals, educational items and research. ProPublica has been detailing relationships between doctors and the pharmaceutical industry for four years as part of our Dollars for Docs project, and today, in cooperation with the website Pharmashine, we’ve added data for 2013. (You can look up your doctor using our easy search tool.) Read More ›
Gov. Brown Toughens Rules on Senior Residential Care Facilities
by Patrick McGreevey, Los Angeles Times
Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday approved sweeping new rules for residential care facilities aimed at protecting senior citizens from substandard conditions. The governor approved nine bills that his office said in a statement are meant to “protect the health and safety of seniors residing in assisted living facilities across the state.” Read More ›
LA County to Collect More Personal Data Without Public Notice
by Ali Winston, The Center for Investigative Reporting
[Center for Investigative Reporting] County law enforcement officials are preparing to widen a massive database of iris scans, fingerprints, mug shots, palm prints and, potentially, voice recordings, creating the largest such repository outside of the FBI of so-called next-generation biometric identification. With the FBI’s own system now fully operational, the next phase is for local jurisdictions across the country to update their own information-gathering systems to the FBI’s standards. Read More ›
PG&E’s Judge Shopping Outrages State PUC Employees
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
Staff expressed outrage at PUC officials’ promises to help PG&E get the administrative law judge (ALJ) it wanted to hear a rate case that will decide how post-San Bruno explosion costs will be divided between customers and shareholders. PG&E is seeking to have its customers pay nearly $1.3 billion for pipeline improvements following the 2010 blast that killed eight people and leveled 38 homes. PUC President Peevey’s chief of staff resigned and three PG&E executives were fired over what the commission called “inappropriate” back-channel communications to pick an ALJ for the rate case. Read More ›
6 Ways to Outsmart Data Brokers
by Kelly Dilworth, Fox News Network
Think twice about the trail of information you leave behind when you go about your day. Unlike consumer reporting agencies, data brokers aren’t subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act – they don’t have to tell you what they’re collecting, nor do they have to correct your information if it’s wrong. The Federal Trade Commission has asked Congress to step in and regulate the information data brokers are collecting so you have more control over your data. But until that happens, it’s up to you to keep an eye on the information you’re disclosing and protect what privacy you have left. Read More ›
Home Depot Says 56 Million Credit/Debit Cards Compromised in Breach
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
The world’s largest home improvement retailer has finally given some idea about the number of accounts that may have been compromised between April and September: approximately 56 million. The Target breach in 2013 resulted in the theft of information of more than 100 million customers. Journalist Brian Krebs reports today that it looks like the Home Depot breach may have been confined to self-service checkout terminals at around 1,700 U.S. stores. Home Depot restated its previous claim that it doesn’t look like PIN information was stolen for debit card users. Read More ›
White House Acknowledges Over-use of Antibiotics in Farm Animals, Shrugs
by Chris Morran, Consumerist
A report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that acknowledges a growing over-use of antibiotics in agriculture and medicine “underscores the crisis we’re facing as bacteria become increasingly resistant to antibiotics,” a Natural Resources Defense Council spokeswoman said. “Unfortunately, much more follow through is needed from the Administration. … It must take steps to curb the overuse of antibiotics in animals, which consume about 80 percent of the antibiotics.” Read More ›
Gov. Brown Signs Insurance Bill for Uber and Competitors
by Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times
AB 2293 ensures that drivers for services such as Uber and Lyft don’t rely on personal insurance policies when engaging in commercial activities. Firms must provide $50,000 coverage for injuries to a single passenger, $100,000 for all occupants of a car and have $200,000 worth of coverage available for victims of more serious mishaps. State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones instead backs a proposal at the California Public Utilities Commission, which is expected to incorporate provisions of AB 2293 into proposed regulations now being considered. Read More ›
Shakeup at PG&E, State Agency over ‘Inappropriate’ Talks
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
A string of e-mails shows PG&E influenced the selection of an administrative law judge (ALJ) to decide how much of a burden customers should bear for billions of dollars of gas-pipeline improvements after the September 2010 San Bruno explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. CPUC President Michael Peevey has asked his chief of staff to resign, and he said he would not take part in any commission vote on how much PG&E should be penalized for the blast. PG&E plans to appeal the $1.4 billion penalty, and an appeal would likely come before the commission. Read More ›
New Law Bans Companies from Punishing Online Critics
by Jacob Davidson, Time
The law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, which appears to be the first of its kind in the United States, prevents companies from including “non-disparagement” clauses in their contracts with customers. These clauses are often hidden in long user agreements that many consumers unwittingly agree to when using a service. Such legislation might seem unnecessary since forcefully silencing one’s customers seems to be a clear violation of the First Amendment. However, that hasn’t stopped a number of companies from trying to mute criticism using just the type of contracts this bill outlaws. Read More ›