UnitedHealth to exit individual insurance market in California
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
The move by UnitedHealth, the nation’s largest health insurer, will force thousands of customers with individual policies to find new coverage. Read More ›
Ford recalls 13,100 Explorer, Taurus and MKS models
by Joseph Lichterman, Reuters
The recall affects 2013 models, and the malfunction could mean the child safety locks would turn off automatically, allowing the doors to be opened from the inside. Read More ›
Insist that stores show you the warranty before you buy
by Anthony Giorgianni, Consumer Reports
On products costing more than $15, retailers must make the written warranty available before you buy the item or include a statement on how to get it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a walk-in store, website, catalog, or door-to-door sale. Read More ›
The NSA is watching. So are Google and Facebook.
by Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times
Google, Facebook and Amazon, and a host of lesser-known data brokers, constantly gather and exploit consumer information. The process is largely unregulated. Read More ›
Reclaim Your Name: FTC commissioner wants companies to reveal what user data they collect
by Carl Franzen, The Verge
An FTC official is proposing a sweeping new initiative that would let people see all the data that companies have collected about them. Read More ›
AB 25 extends social media privacy rights to public-sector employees (2-year bill)
CFC supports AB 25, which would extend social media privacy provisions to public sector applicants and employees. Read More ›
How police track your driving
by Ali Winston, San Francisco Chronicle
Privacy advocates say the price is unacceptably high, with millions of people who have done nothing wrong having their movements recorded by the government. Read More ›
Governor Brown signs bill allowing more closed-door meetings
by Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times
The measure adds the governor to the list of people with whom local officials can meet in private to discuss security issues.
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Public research for private gain
by Darwin BondGraham, East Bay Express
UC Regents recently approved a new corporate entity that will likely give a group of well-connected businesspeople control over how academic research is used. Read More ›
SB 556 holds government agencies responsible when subcontracted workers appear to be their employees (2-year bill)
CFC, California Professional Firefighters, and California Labor Federation are co-sponsoring the bill, which will hold government agencies responsible when subcontracted workers appear to be their employees. Read More ›
Report: California leads country in April home prices growth
by Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times
Home prices in California shot upward in April, leading the nation in growth as the Southern California and Bay Area markets remained red hot, according to a new report. Read More ›
Tell Committee members: Reject AB 844, which destroys credit card privacy
On Wednesday, July 3, the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee will vote on anti-privacy bill AB 844 (Dickinson). AB 844 is being touted as a bill to protect consumers’ personal information for online credit card purchases, with claims it will better protect consumers’ privacy by safeguarding … Read More ›
U.S. Supreme Court sides with American Express in lawsuit over forced arbitration
by Jessica M. Karmasek, Legal Newsline Legal Journal
The U.S. Supreme Court said corporations can force arbitration on small businesses and individuals, even when proven that the forced arbitration clause is too costly or inherently unfair. Read More ›