The Federal Trade Commission has settled with a payment processor and four affiliated entities over allegations that the companies knowingly enabled deceptive merchants, including foreign tech-support operations, to access the U.S. card-payment system. Beyond the $4.85 million monetary judgment, the case is notable for an accompanying Joint Statement from Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Mark
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a proposed $12 million settlement with Humboldt Merchant Services based on allegations that it processed payments for merchants that were shell companies or engaged in fraud.
If entered, the proposed order would permanently prohibit Humboldt from processing payments for certain high-risk merchant categories and from engaging in credit card
This GT Alert summarizes the state-law developments and highlights practical compliance considerations for businesses that develop, sell, or use algorithmic pricing tools.
Continue Reading Algorithmic Pricing Under Fire: State Restrictions on Personalized and Surveillance Pricing
President Trump has nominated Brian Johnson, a Capital One executive and former CFPB official, to serve as the Bureau’s next director. His nomination signals continued regulatory restraint at the federal level, while state actors move to fill the enforcement gap.
Continue Reading Brian Johnson Nominated as New CFPB Director
Virginia’s HB1022/SB493 amends the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to impose new auto-renewal compliance obligations on businesses serving consumers in the Commonwealth, effective July 1, 2026. Sellers must now offer cancellation mechanisms that mirror sign-up channels in ease and availability, and the previously available good-faith compliance defense has been eliminated.
Continue Reading Virginia Enacts Automatic Renewal Consumer Protection Law
On May 1, 2026, the CFPB finalized a revised Section 1071 rule under ECOA, narrowing covered institutions, products, and required data points from the 2023 Rule, with a single compliance date of Jan. 1, 2028. Financial institutions may wish to begin assessing coverage status and compliance readiness.
Continue Reading CFPB Final Rule Narrows Small Business Lending Data Collection Requirements
The CFPB’s final amendments to Regulation B reshape fair lending compliance under ECOA, including changes to disparate impact liability, anti-discouragement standards, and SPCP requirements. Lenders may wish to assess the rule’s operational impact while preparing for potential litigation and state-level enforcement risks.
On May 12, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of Rohit Chopra, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, to lead California’s newly created Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA). If confirmed by the California Senate, Chopra will serve as the first secretary of the
On April 28, 2026, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed HB 895, the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act, into law. The Act makes Maryland the first state to enact a sector-specific restriction on certain personalized, or “surveillance,” pricing practices in the food retail context. Though this legislation is unprecedented, legislators limited its scope to prevent
The Federal Trade Commission remains focused on children’s privacy and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Continue Reading FTC Signals Relaxed COPPA Enforcement for Age-Verification Technologies