On October 6, 2025, Bloomberg reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched an investigation into AppLovin Corporation’s data-collection practices, following an alleged whistleblower complaint and a series of short-seller reports. We previously covered the shareholder class action against AppLovin in another blog post. The company is a mobile advertising technology business that
data collection
Mindvalley Learning Platform to Pay $450,000 to Settle Video Privacy Act Suit Over Meta Pixel
Mindvalley Inc., a self-improvement and online learning platform, has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that it unlawfully shared users’ video-viewing information with Meta through the use of tracking technology on its website. On August 22, 2025, Judge Noël Wise of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted…
Privacy Tip #452 – Temu + TikTok—Assess Risk Before Downloading
We have repeatedly warned our readers about the risks associated with TikTok. We are reminding our readers that the popular Temu app raises the same concerns.
The risks have prompted almost two dozen attorneys general to file lawsuits against Temu, alleging that it is “dangerous malware” that secretly monetizes user data in an unauthorized manner.…
Why Dumping Sensitive Data on Network Shares is a Liability
Are you storing sensitive data on a shared network drive? If so, your organization could be at serious risk of a data breach or privacy lawsuit. Shared drives, like the common “S:\ drive,” are often used to store documents, spreadsheets, customer information, financial records, and even scanned IDs. But here’s the problem: these network shares…
State Data Minimization Laws Spark Compliance Uncertainty
A new wave of state consumer privacy laws focused on limiting data collection is creating anxiety among businesses—and Maryland is leading the charge. The Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA), set to take effect in October 2025, requires companies to collect only data that is “reasonably necessary and proportionate” to their stated purposes. However, with…
Biometric Data Collection Leads to Class Action Lawsuit under Illinois Privacy Law
Candid Color Systems Inc., based in Oklahoma, faces a class action lawsuit for its alleged violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Candid Colors offers marketing services to photographers, including photo-matching technology that allows consumers to identify all of the photos taken of a particular student at a graduation ceremony.
The complaint, filed…
Texas AG Sues General Motors for Illegal Data Collection
This week, Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General, filed suit against General Motors for alleged violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act in collecting and selling drivers’ data to insurers without consumer consent.
In June, the Attorney General’s office announced an investigation into several car manufacturers for alleged collection of mass amounts of data…
Vermont Data Privacy Act, Most Robust Consumer Protections Since CCPA
Last week, the Vermont legislature passed H. 121, the Vermont Data Privacy Act. This law will make Vermont the 18th state to grant consumers privacy rights similar to those under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). It is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2025.
While the Vermont Data Privacy Act…
Privacy Tip #395 – GM Faces Class Action for Collecting + Disclosing Drivers’ Data Without Consent
Car manufacturer General Motors (GM) is the subject of litigation in Georgia by two New Jersey Chevy Bolt drivers who allege that GM collected data about their driving habits and behavior and disclosed it to third parties, including insurance companies, causing them to pay higher insurance rates and experience difficulty in obtaining reasonable premiums.
They…
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism for Consumers in Colorado
Similar to the well-known California Consumer Privacy Act, on July 1, 2024, the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) goes into effect and will provide Colorado residents with express rights over their data collected by businesses. The CPA requires businesses to provide consumers with an option to opt-out of the sale of their personal information or sharing…