After boy’s death from allergic reaction to cookie, family sues; says store violated labeling laws

The family of an 11-year-old who died after eating a chocolate chip cookie that may have contained nuts has sued the supermarket chain that sold it. Filed in federal court in Nashville, Tenn., the suit contends that an employee at a Publix store outside the city misinformed the mother of…

Mar 25, 2015 4:25 PM CDT

Suit says debt-collection law firm submitted false affidavits, seeks to void thousands of judgments

Updated: A debt-collection law firm has been sued by a consumer advocacy group over its alleged activities in Texas. The group contends that Hosto & Buchan participated in a massive fraud that involved submitting false affidavits on behalf of its client, Midland Funding, in court cases throughout the state. The…

Mar 25, 2015 1:15 PM CDT

Revised Facebook rules allow ‘artistic’ nudity and ‘authentic identity’; nix revenge porn

In updated rules released Monday, Facebook clarified for its approximately 1.4 billion users what will, and will not, result in a takedown of their pages under the website’s Community Standards. The social media site reaffirmed its rule against nudity but made explicit a ban on revenge pornography and is also…

Mar 16, 2015 1:20 PM CDT

Privacy advocates criticize new ‘Hello Barbie’ doll with wi-fi microphone

A new Mattel prototype of an iconic toy anticipates that “Hello Barbie” will soon be able to talk with children as they play with the doll. Pressing a button will turn on the microphone and connect the toy to wi-fi. The problem is, the same voice-recognition software that enables the…

Mar 13, 2015 2:00 PM CDT

Will consumer agency ban mandatory arbitration in consumer contracts? Study could be first step

Tens of millions of consumers use financial products or services that require arbitration of disputes, according to a new report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Most of the contracts studied bar class-action arbitrations, and most include a carve-out that allows consumers to sue in small claims court, the report…

Mar 13, 2015 6:45 AM CDT

Fake IRS agents called 366,000 seeking money; 3,000 fell for scam since 2013, investigator says

Multiple criminal groups may be responsible for telephone calls to 366,000 people by fake Internal Revenue Service agents who are trying to trick targets into providing funds to the scammers. A total of 3,000 people have fallen for the scheme since 2013, and one victim lost $500,000, a deputy inspector…

Mar 12, 2015 4:15 PM CDT

Apartment owner axes controversial lease provision that allowed $10K fine for social media criticism

Managers of a Florida apartment complex quickly backed down following controversy about a lease addendum. According to the addendum, residents could be fined $10,000 for critical social media comments. A Windermere Cay representative said the complex would not enforce the Social Media Addendum, which had been developed by a former…

Mar 12, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

Accused of stonewalling complaints, major credit agencies promise reform in pact with New York AG

Following claims that credit reporting agencies stonewall consumer complaints about inaccuracies, New York’s attorney general demanded reform and has now announced a settlement. Among other changes, the three major credit reporting agencies have promised to have trained employees review the specifics of complaints about alleged errors and will wait six…

Mar 9, 2015 4:20 PM CDT

Don’t fall for ‘major ongoing phishing scam,’ Virginia AG warns; it’s not from his office

Residents of Virginia are being targeted by scammers who are trying to trick them into turning over funds under threat of arrest, the commonwealth’s top law enforcement officer says. In a Monday consumer alert commonwealth Attorney General Mark Herring warns residents to beware and says his office would never attempt…

Mar 9, 2015 1:10 PM CDT

Snuggies marketer agrees to pay $8M to settle allegations of deceptive practices

A company that uses TV infomercials to sell Snuggies and other products has agreed to pay $8 million to settle allegations that it failed to disclose all shipping and handling fees that sometimes nearly doubled the price of the product. The settlement order (PDF) requires the Allstar Marketing Group to…

Mar 6, 2015 11:53 AM CST

State lawmakers consider bills allowing businesses to refuse to serve gay couples

Anticipating a Supreme Court decision establishing a right to same-sex marriages, lawmakers in several states are considering bills that would allow businesses to refuse to serve gay couples. Many of the bills are modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the New York Times reports. The legislation typically says…

Mar 6, 2015 7:39 AM CST

Does federal law protect loan guarantors from marital-status bias? SCOTUS accepts case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a case involving two women who signed a personal guarantee for a $2 million loan on behalf of their husbands and the property development company they owned. The women assert that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act protects guarantors from marital-status discrimination.…

Mar 2, 2015 12:23 PM CST

Although the ACA is 1,000 pages long, its future may depend on a single phrase

The Affordable Care Act is some 1,000 pages long, and it survived largely intact in a 193-page 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld President Barack Obama's signature health reform law as an exercise of Congress' taxing powers. Now, a mere eight words in the statute—and one Internal Revenue Service…

Mar 1, 2015 6:00 AM CST

Digital rights group asks US Copyright Office for car-owner exemptions

Mar 1, 2015 4:30 AM CST

SCOTUS smiles on nondentist teeth whiteners, allows antitrust action against dentistry board

A North Carolina dental regulatory board made up mostly of dentists doesn’t have state-action immunity in an antitrust action, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The 6-3 decision (PDF) allows a Federal Trade Commission challenge to the board’s clampdown on teeth whitening by nondentists. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the…

Feb 25, 2015 11:33 AM CST