Topic: consumer protection
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Peak Body Slams Telecoms as Optus Hit With $100M Fine
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is demanding an end to industry self-regulation, following a Federal Court ruling that imposed a $100 million penalty on Optus for unconscionable sales practices. ACCAN's research reveals systemic consumer issues, with 43% of Australia...
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Qatar Suspends Talabat for 1 Week Over Consumer Rights Breach
Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry suspended Talabat for one week due to verified breaches of consumer protection regulations, including misleading product information and improper payment collection. The suspension was based on violations of specific articles in consumer law, prompting ad...
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FCC Allows ISPs to Hide Fees on Your Broadband Bill
The FCC is proposing to eliminate rules requiring internet service providers to display "Broadband Facts" labels, which detail the full cost of service plans including often-hidden fees. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr argues the current transparency rules are overly burdensome for providers and offer ...
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Bitdefender Fights AI Scams Targeting Families Worldwide
AI-powered scams using deepfake video and voice cloning technology are becoming highly sophisticated, posing significant financial and emotional risks by impersonating trusted individuals to manipulate victims. Bitdefender's "They Wear Our Faces" campaign aims to combat this threat by educating t...
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CRA's New Caller ID Plan Fights Fraud, Protects You
The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) is introducing Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) in partnership with Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar to help consumers identify legitimate callers and reduce fraud by displaying registered names on incoming calls. Initially, CNAP will apply to calls fr...
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TRA Bahrain, Mobile Operators Launch Anti-SMS Fraud Guidelines
Bahrain's TRA and mobile operators have launched new "Guidelines for Reducing Fraudulent SMS" to combat scam messages and enhance mobile security nationwide. The guidelines establish technical and operational measures for identifying and intercepting fraudulent communications, alongside public ed...
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FCC to Scrap ISP Fee Disclosure Rule Amid Rising Costs
The FCC is proposing to eliminate a rule requiring ISPs to itemize recurring monthly fees on broadband labels, arguing that detailed breakdowns can overwhelm customers. This rule, implemented in April 2024, was intended to prevent misleading low advertised prices by ensuring transparency about ad...
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California Bans Predatory Early Cancellation Fees
A new California law (AB 483) protects consumers from unexpected early termination fees in installment contracts by requiring transparency and capping fees at 30% of the contract's total value. The legislation mandates that businesses clearly disclose cancellation charges upfront, preventing them...
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21 States, DC Join FTC in Landmark Lawsuit Against Uber
A coalition of 21 states and D.C. has joined the FTC in suing Uber, alleging deceptive practices with its Uber One subscription service, including enrolling consumers without clear consent. The lawsuit claims Uber made cancellation unreasonably difficult, forcing users through up to 23 screens an...
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FTC Investigates Google, Amazon for Ad Pricing Transparency
The FTC is investigating Google and Amazon for potential lack of transparency in their advertising practices, including ad pricing and terms. These inquiries are part of broader regulatory actions against both companies, building on previous antitrust concerns over their market dominance. The inv...
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Europe's Fintech Future: How Regulation Can Drive Growth
Europe's fintech sector faces a balancing act between innovation and consumer protection, with recent regulations addressing crypto volatility, fraud, and money laundering while fostering growth. Key EU regulations like DORA, AMLA, and MiCA introduce harmonized standards, improving cybersecurity,...
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Texas Sues Major TV Makers Over Viewing Data Spying
Texas has sued Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL, alleging their TVs use Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology to secretly record viewing habits and sensitive personal data without proper consent for targeted advertising. The lawsuits claim the companies use deceptive practices to acti...
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New York Law Mandates AI Avatar Disclosure in Ads
New York now requires advertisers to clearly disclose the use of AI-generated people in promotional materials, aiming to increase transparency and protect consumers from deceptive synthetic media. The law includes specific exceptions, such as for AI avatars in expressive works like films, and est...
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'Clinical-Grade AI': The Meaningless Buzzword Exposed
The term "clinical-grade AI" is a marketing buzzword with no regulatory definition, used by companies like Lyra Health to imply medical authority without actual oversight or accountability. Experts confirm that such ambiguous language allows companies to avoid FDA regulation and the need for rigo...
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UK's Google Search Faces a Major Overhaul
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has designated Google's search engine with Strategic Market Status to address its dominance, which accounts for over 90% of general search queries and involves significant business advertising spending. This designation enables targeted regulatory action...
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Lawmakers demand ban on Delta's AI price-hiking surveillance
Lawmakers are proposing a bill to ban AI-powered price discrimination and wage suppression, sparked by Delta Airlines' plan to use AI for dynamic pricing based on personal data. The legislation targets practices like adjusting prices based on financial vulnerability or suppressing wages using alg...
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Ring Doorbells Now Use AI Facial Recognition
Amazon's Ring has launched a "Familiar Faces" AI feature in the U.S., allowing users to label and receive customized alerts for up to fifty recognized individuals like family or delivery drivers. The feature has sparked significant privacy and security concerns from advocates and lawmakers, citin...
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Senators Push to Ban Teen Access to AI Chatbots
A bipartisan bill called the GUARD Act, introduced by Senators Hawley and Blumenthal, seeks to ban individuals under 18 from using AI chatbots and requires tech companies to implement strong age verification systems. The legislation mandates that AI chatbots regularly disclose their non-human nat...
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California Bans Loud Ads on Netflix and YouTube
California has passed a law requiring streaming platforms to maintain consistent audio levels between programming and ads, effective July 2026, to address viewer complaints about loud commercials. The legislation, Bill 576, was inspired by personal stories of disrupted sleep and aims to protect f...
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UK Regulator Labels Google Search a "Strategic Market" Power
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has granted Google strategic market status for its core search and search advertising services, enabling regulators to impose targeted interventions to protect competition and consumers. This decision, part of the UK's new Digital Markets Regime, exclude...
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Trump's AI Order: 'One Rulebook' or Startup Limbo?
A new executive order aims to establish a single national AI regulatory framework by challenging state laws, but critics warn it creates prolonged legal uncertainty for startups instead. The order directs federal agencies to contest state rules and explore federal standards, but it does not itsel...
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CPSC Warns: Stop Using Rad Power Bikes Over Fire Risk
Federal regulators have issued an urgent safety alert for specific Rad Power Bikes e-bike models due to multiple battery fire incidents causing significant property damage, advising immediate discontinuation of use. The affected models include several RadWagon, RadCity, RadRover, RadRunner, and R...
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Italy Orders Meta to Halt WhatsApp's AI Chatbot Ban
Italian regulators have ordered Meta to suspend a policy that would block third-party AI chatbots from using WhatsApp's business tools, citing concerns it abuses its dominant market position. The investigation focuses on whether Meta is unfairly promoting its own AI chatbot while restricting comp...
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The Great Banking Collision: DeFi Meets Mainstream
Decentralized finance (DeFi) and traditional banking are converging, reshaping financial services through blockchain technology and smart contracts, offering speed, affordability, and global access. This integration challenges traditional banking by eliminating intermediaries, prompting banks to ...
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Bitdefender & NETGEAR: Rising Home Cybersecurity Threats
Modern homes face nearly triple the daily cybersecurity attacks compared to last year, with households averaging 22 connected devices and enduring about 29 attacks daily. Entertainment devices like streaming systems, smart TVs, and IP cameras are the most vulnerable, often unpatched and accountin...
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California's Rental Fee Law Sparks ISP Backlash
A new California law effective January 1 allows tenants to decline bundled internet services in their leases without penalty, aiming to increase competition and fairness in the rental market. The legislation, supported by bipartisan lawmakers and smaller providers, does not ban bulk billing but e...
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Windows 10 Security Updates: Free for EU Users for One More Year
Microsoft will provide free extended security updates for Windows 10 users in the European Economic Area until October 2026, removing requirements for a Microsoft Account or cloud backup. This policy change responds to pressure from Euroconsumers, which argued initial conditions likely violated t...
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Microsoft's Free Windows 10 Security Updates Exclude US and UK Until 2026
Older computers can remain secure through a free Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) program, which provides critical patches until October 2026, but only if users log in with a Microsoft account and re-enroll if inactive for over 60 days. This free ESU program is exclusively available to i...
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Festive Season Fraud Fears: No Major Breach Spike Expected
Recent data analysis shows no significant seasonal spike in cyberattacks targeting retailers during peak shopping periods, with incident reports remaining relatively stable across quarters. Security experts advise retailers to adopt continuous security assurance and maintain cyber resilience year...
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Qatar, ITU Host Workshop to Boost Global ICT Governance
The CRA of Qatar and the ITU held a workshop from September 28-30, 2025, to enhance staff skills in international ICT governance and ITU procedures. The training focused on preparing for key ITU conferences, WTDC-25 and PP-26, teaching strategic conference preparation and policy influence through...
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India Mandates Government Security App on All Smartphones
The Indian government mandates pre-installation of the "Sanchar Saathi" security app on all smartphones to combat theft and fraud, but critics warn it could enable state surveillance. Apple refuses to comply, citing global policy and security concerns, arguing the mandate risks user privacy and c...
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Microsoft's Free Windows 10 Security Updates Now Mandatory in Europe
Microsoft will now provide free Extended Security Updates to European Economic Area consumers, removing the previous requirement to enable Windows Backup. This policy change resulted from pressure by consumer advocacy groups and is geographically limited to the EEA. The free security updates are ...
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Apple Could Disable App Tracking in Europe
Apple may disable its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature in Europe due to intense lobbying, potentially undermining user privacy by removing their ability to block cross-app tracking. Regulators in countries like Germany and France argue ATT is anticompetitive, alleging Apple applies stricte...
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Warp Agentic: The Top Development Tool of 2025
Warp Agentic is a leading 2025 development tool that boosts productivity through integrated code generation, debugging, and project management features. It enhances team collaboration with real-time shared workspaces and reduces delays from communication and version control issues. The platform o...
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