How Kavanaugh could shape the coming “watershed” moment for digital privacy
by Kathyrn Watson, CBS News
Over the course of the next two decades, the Supreme Court will likely undertake some of the most consequential digital privacy cases that will reverberate across generations to come. And Judge Brett Kavanaugh could be a deciding voice. Read More ›
Trump administration moves to make it harder for defrauded students to erase debt
by Laura Meckler, Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post
The package is a win for colleges, particularly for-profit ventures. It’s a defeat for consumer advocates who favor a more aggressive posture against colleges that they say routinely take advantage of veterans and older students. Read More ›
Starbucks, others must pay California workers for off the clock tasks
by Daniel Wiessner, Reuters
The court said that under California law, workers must generally be paid for any time they are required to be on their employers’ premises. Read More ›
Report: Wells Fargo charged customers for hidden services
by Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report
Products such as pet insurance, legal services and other add-on services were added to customers’ accounts without their full understanding, a Wall Street Journal report says. Read More ›
Driverless-car makers want Congress to free them from state safety standards
by Eliza Fawcett, Los Angeles Times
Bipartisan legislation now moving through Congress could leave consumers at risk by preventing states from demanding tighter safety regulations. Read More ›
Critics say CFPB nominee Kathy Kraninger lacks experience
by Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times
For director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, arguably the single-most-powerful financial regulator in Washington, the President has tapped a little-known White House aide with no apparent relevant experience in finance, banking regulation or consumer protection. Read More ›
California Consumer Privacy Act gains support in wake of GDPR
by Xavier Harding, Mic
Though GDPR benefits consumers globally, internet users may not be able to rely on Europe to fight everyone’s privacy battles. The California proposal is different from GDPR in that it would require more transparency from companies on how consumers’ data is utilized and shared. Read More ›
Bill banning binding arbitration passes CA Assembly in face of strong opposition
by John Breslin, Northern California Record
A bill barring employers from inserting binding arbitration clauses into contracts as a condition of employment has passed the California State Assembly. The bill, introduced in the face of strong opposition from pro-business organizations, passed the Assembly by a vote of 47-25. Read More ›
California Senate votes to restore net neutrality
by Makena Kelly, The Verge
The California Senate voted on Wednesday to approve a bill that would reinstate the net neutrality regulations repealed by the Federal Communications Commission in December. Read More ›
Senate approves overturning FCC’s Net Neutrality repeal
by Bill Chappell, NPR
The legislative victory is fleeting because the House does not intend to take similar action, but Democrats are planning to carry the political fight over Internet access into the 2018 midterms. Read More ›
Time runs out for Congress to upend payday lending rule
by Sarah O'Brien, CNBC
Resolutions in both the Senate and House sought to kill the so-called payday rule, which aims to make sure consumers can afford to pay back these short-term, high-cost loans. Read More ›
Google knows what we do online and may soon know everything else about us, too
by Sam Harnet, KQED California Report
We are shifting into the Internet of Things, where the internet is embedded in consumer products — stuff like televisions, lights, TVs and cars. All of these objects are untapped fountains of personal information, and personal information is the financial lifeblood of Google. Read More ›
New legislation could make it harder to tell how much your airline tickets cost
by Christopher Elliott, Savannah Now
An old ticket-price tactic for airlines may make a surprise comeback, thanks to proposed legislation. This is the third time in five years that the airline industry and its surrogates in Congress have tried to jettison the full-fare advertising rule, formerly known as the Transparent Airfares Act. Read More ›