These Are The Privacy Rules Your ISP Might Soon Have to Live By
by Brian Fung, Washington Post
Should the government impose new rules on Internet providers to protect your privacy online? That will be the subject of an Oct. 27 vote by the Federal Communications Commission, the nation’s top broadband regulator. Read More ›
CFC Applauds FCC Chairman Wheeler’s Broadband Privacy Proposal
The FCC Chairman’s proposal would prohibit Broadband Internet Access Service (BIAS) providers from sharing sensitive information without a consumer’s consent. The proposal also requires BIAS providers to inform consumers about what information they collect and with whom that information is shared. Read More ›
AT&T Stops Charging Broadband Users Extra For Privacy
by Karl Bode, TechDirt
While AT&T claims it’s just concerned about “simplicity,” the real reason is because the FCC is considering some basic privacy protections for broadband users, who often can’t vote against bad behavior with their wallet thanks to the lack of competition in the broadband space. Read More ›
CFC Announces Endorsements in November 2016 Legislative Races
Consumer Federation of California (CFC) has endorsed these candidates for election in November 2016: Assembly District 24: Vicki Veenker (D) Assembly District 27: Ash Kalra (D) Assembly District 65: Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) Senate District 3: Mariko Yamada (D) Senate District 15: Jim Beall (D) (Incumbent) The endorsements … Read More ›
CFPB Has Handled 1 Million Consumer Complaints
Five years in and a million complaints down. That is the story the CFPB is putting out today — since having been founded in 2011, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has handled over one million consumer complaints, a milestone they sailed past earlier this month. Read More ›
Even Generic Drug Prices Are Going Through The Roof
by Katie Gibson, CBS Moneywatch
Generic versions of popular or vital drugs have been a partial bright spot amid a public outcry over pharmaceutical companies jacking up the prices by astronomical proportions. But generic-drug manufacturers are also getting in on the price-hiking action. Read More ›
Save Social Security! Group Accused of Scams Targets N.J. Seniors
by Karin Price Mueller, NJ.com
A complaint-laden organization that solicits donations nationwide is making a play in New Jersey. The letter had many warning signs of a scam: telling the recipient to “rush,” saying the recipient had been “specially selected” and saying the mailing was “exclusive.” Read More ›
Wells Fargo To Pay $185 million Settlement For ‘Outrageous’ Sales Culture
by James Rufus Koren, Los Angeles Times
Calling it “outrageous” and “a major breach of trust,” local and federal regulators hammered Wells Fargo & Co. for a pervasive culture of aggressive sales goals that pushed thousands of workers to open as many as 2 million accounts that bank customers never wanted. Read More ›
Companies Wary of WhatsApp Privacy Issues
by Claire Atkinson, New York Post
It’s not just privacy advocates who are freaking out over Facebook’s decision to extract user data from its popular WhatsApp messaging service. The controversial move may force business to explore other avenues beyond Facebook and WhatsApp as a way to connect with consumers more securely. Read More ›
SB 648: Regulating Residential Care Referral Agencies
As the least-regulated long-term care facilities, RCFEs are easy targets for greedy referral agencies seeking to dump seniors in under-supervised environments. Some 7,800 RCFEs operate in California now, with roughly 175,000 beds available, and their numbers are expected to grow as the ranks of the elderly swell. Read More ›
After Reforms, CPUC Can Still Have Private Meetings With Utilities
by Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times
For years, state lawmakers have been trying to crack down on private meetings between utility companies and members of the California Public Utilities Commission after revelations that top officials and industry executives had frequent dinner dates, shared talking points and even sketched out details of the multibillion-dollar closure of a Southern California nuclear power plant during a secret rendezvous. Read More ›
The EpiPen, a Case Study in Health Care System Dysfunction
by Aaron E. Caroll, New York Times
EpiPens are a perfect example of a health care nightmare. They’re also just a typical example of the dysfunction of the American health care system. Epinephrine isn’t an elective medication. It doesn’t last, so people need to purchase the drug repeatedly. There’s little competition, but there are huge hurdles to enter the market, so a company can raise the price again and again with little pushback. Read More ›
Forced Arbitration: A Sneaky Rip-Off
Update: The CFC submitted a letter in strong support of the proposed rule to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on August 22. View it here (pdf). When a bank or other financial institution engages in unfair, deceptive or downright abusive rip-offs, consumers should get their day in … Read More ›