Compliance & Ethics

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a historic $1.4 billion settlement with Meta (formerly Facebook) to halt the company’s practice of capturing and using the personal biometric data of millions of Texans without the legally required authorization. This settlement marks the largest ever obtained from an action brought by a single state and sets a new benchmark for privacy settlements by state attorneys general.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached a $10 million settlement with CarShield and its administrator, American Auto Shield (AAS), over allegations of deceptive advertising practices related to vehicle service contracts (VSCs). The settlement, announced on July 31, 2024, addresses claims that the companies misled consumers about the coverage and benefits of their vehicle protection plans.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a $15 million settlement with Charter Communications following an investigation into the company's compliance with 911 and network outage notification rules. The settlement, announced on July 29, 2024, addresses violations that occurred during several network outages in 2023.

Western International Securities, Inc., a Pasadena-based broker-dealer, has agreed to a settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to resolve allegations of multiple rule violations. The settlement, known as a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC), ensures that FINRA will not pursue further action against Western for the issues detailed in the agreement.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has unveiled its annual report for 2023/24, offering a comprehensive overview of a year marked by significant regulatory developments and enhanced financial sector resilience. Published on July 30, 2024, the report covers the period from March 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024, detailing the PRA's extensive activities in safeguarding the UK's banking and insurance sectors.

RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, has announced a significant financial provision of $1.24 billion to resolve multiple government investigations into its business practices, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The aerospace and defense giant disclosed this information in its quarterly update to investors on July 25, 2024.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has awarded over $37 million to a whistleblower whose information led to a successful enforcement action. The announcement, made on July 26, 2024, underscores the SEC's commitment to encouraging individuals to report potential securities law violations.