Category Archives: Uncategorized

Federal regulators demand that the Takata airbag recall go nationwide

The AP reports that The federal government is demanding that the auto industry recall millions of additional cars equipped with faulty air bags that can injure — and even kill — a driver. The action Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] covers driver's side air bags equipped with inflators made by Takata […]

Suit against mortgage servicer Ocwen alleges fraudulent charges, back-dated letters

NPR's Morning Edition this morning covered this pending case, in which borrowers assert a variety of unlawful practices. The New York State Department of Financial Services is also investigating. For instance, one couple says that Ocwen charged fees for "property preservation" even though the couple lived in the home, force-placed insurance even though the couple […]

Documenting Google’s information empire

… is the goal of this Public Citizen report, worth a read. This excerpt from the introduction gives a flavor: As Google has continued to flourish, it has become ever bolder and more sophisticated in its methods to collect and combine information about individuals to generate revenue. Most Google users are likely aware that Google […]

Worrisome Features of the Terms of Use at “Social Networking Sites”

by Paul Alan Levy  Late last week I attended a conference on Social Media Liability at Suffolk University Law School.  My own talk, about practical considerations in litigating online free speech issues, is not yet in publishable form, but a fascinating empirical study of the terms of use of several hundred "social networking sites" was […]

FTC and Florida AG Put A Stop to Robocalls Used to Fraudulently Pitch Medical Alert Devices to Seniors

A settlement obtained by the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Florida Attorney General permanently shuts down an Orlando-based operation that bilked seniors by using pre-recorded robocalls to sell them supposedly free medical alert systems. The FTC's press release is here. The Stipulated Order and Permanent Injunction is here.

What will the CFPB do on mandatory pre-dispute arbitration?

That's the topic of Consumer Financing Pre-Dispute Mandatory Arbitration: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Developments by law professor Louis Del Duca. Here is the abstract: Judicial precedent with regards to mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements has given such clauses substantial protection, resulting in their widespread inclusion in boilerplate contract language. However, recent findings and assertions from […]

Why didn’t the bank that issued my credit card tell the credit reporting companies that my credit-card debt was discharged in bankruptcy?

Please read this Deal Book article by Jessica Silver-Greenberg. Here's a bit of it: In the netherworld of consumer debt, there are zombies: bills that cannot be killed even by declaring personal bankruptcy. Tens of thousands of Americans who went through bankruptcy are still haunted by debts long after — sometimes as long as a […]

Obama pushes for net neutrality, unlikely ally in Justice Scalia, predictable foe in Sen. Cruz, resistance from FCC

Wading into the the net neutrality debate this week, President Obama came out strongly for it, urging the FCC to reject its proposed "fast lane" approach to regulating the internet (which we've previously discussed here) and to ensure equal access. Yesterday, the National Law Journal looked back and found support for the President's position in […]