United States: Consumer Trading & Unfair Trading

Connecticut's 2026 legislative session transformed the state's Unfair Trade Practices Act into a primary vehicle for technology regulation, creating fifteen new per se violations while systematically excluding private enforcement rights for AI and tech-related provisions. This shift represents a fundamental change in how Connecticut regulates technology companies, concentrating enforcement power exclusively with the Attorney General for areas ranging from AI companion safety to surveillance pricing.

Washington, D.C.'s Enhancing Consumer Protection Procedures Amendment Act of 2026 (B26-0174) fundamentally reshapes consumer protection enforcement by banning drip pricing and hidden fees, incorporating federal abusiveness standards, and establishing aiding-and-abetting liability for vendors and service providers. The legislation creates mandatory minimum penalties, enhanced private rights of action with treble damages, and broad representational standing that could expose companies to significant complianc

Commissioner Sam Levine of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection discusses the agency's aggressive enforcement priorities targeting deceptive practices, hidden fees, and subscription traps. The conversation explores DCWP's newly finalized debt collection rules, its collaboration with federal regulators, and how mayoral executive orders are driving a new era of local consumer protection that rivals federal oversight.