AGs

A group of 41 state attorneys general are demanding that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, provide support for users because there has been a “dramatic increase” in accounts on its platforms being locked and taken over. The letter, addressed to Meta’s chief legal officer, Jennifer Newstead, requested immediate action to address the increase in users who are experiencing “takeovers and lockouts” on Facebook and Instagram. The group said its offices have experienced a spike in complaints…

A group of a dozen U.S. attorneys general, led by Colorado’s Phil Weiser, are calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule cannabis. In a letter sent to the DEA on Friday, the attorneys general said they support the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, citing public safety and advocating for legal businesses. Their pleas echo Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who in December voiced support for a federal rescheduling. Attorneys general…

Alex Mashinsky, the Celsius co-founder and former CEO who suspiciously cashed out $17 million in crypto prior to halting customers’ crypto withdraws and ahead of the company’s eventual bankruptcy, has found himself on the receiving end of a scathing civil lawsuit accusing him of defrauding hundreds of thousands investors out of billion of dollars by misrepresenting the shaky platform’s safety. The suit, filed Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges Mashinsky engaged in a years-long scheme to defraud…

has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Washington DC Attorney General Karl Racine, who of "deceiving users and invading their privacy." Google has also agreed to change some of its practices, primarily concerning how it informs users about collecting, storing and using their location data. “Google leads consumers to believe that consumers are in control of whether Google collects and retains information about their location and how that information is used,” the complaint, which Racine filed in…

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with six states, filed a lawsuit against John Shriber and Roman Zaks, owners of the room renting and roommate finder platform Roomster, for allegedly defrauding consumers, accusing them of paying people for fake reviews and listings on their site. The agency says that the “deceptive tactics” violated the FTC Act and state laws. In a complaint filed by the FTC and the attorneys general of New York, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Massachusetts, the group alleges…

Photo: Drew Angerer (Getty Images)A coalition of 17 state attorney generals are pressuring Google to prevent it from limiting the search results of so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” known for masquerading as legitimate abortion clinics and persuading pregnant people away from receiving abortions. Critics warn unrestricted search results could steer abortion seekers toward these clinics, potentially putting their health at risk. Republicans, on the other hand, say efforts to limit those bad faith clinics in search…