Consumer Protection

Munich – November 12, 2026 -- Some 48 percent of internet users aged 16 to 29 already buy products through social networks, according to a Bitkom study cited as the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) opened its Forum Medienpädagogik conference in Munich today.

Influencers present products in Reels and Stories that are often barely distinguishable from personal recommendations. The conference examines how these purchase incentives affect children and teenagers, and which skills they need to handle them independently.

BLM President Schmiege calls for binding rules on youth consumer manipulation

BLM President Thorsten Schmiege wants media education and consumer education to be combined more closely, so young people can recognize commercial interests. He also called for clear rules against companies that use mechanisms to manipulate young people's buying behavior, beyond media literacy efforts alone.

PHOENIX – November 02, 2026 -- Participating agencies in the 2026 National Coordinated Enforcement Effort reported more than 3,900 jobsite and residential visits nationwide, according to the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA).

15 Regulators Ran Operations Between October 12 and 23

The annual initiative ran October 12-23, 2026, and brought together 15 state and district regulatory agencies. Participants were Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Washington. NASCLA's list marks North Carolina with a "(2)".

The stated aim was to combat unlicensed contracting and promote compliance with contractor licensing laws. Activities varied by jurisdiction.

Washington – September 25, 2026 -- Gamblers scored 3.93 out of five on a standard financial literacy index versus 3.72 for non-gamblers, according to new research commissioned by the American Gaming Association (AGA), with 41% of gamblers classified as highly financially literate compared with 27% of non-gamblers.

Prediction market users overstate their mathematical ability, study finds

Sports bettors demonstrated the highest combination of mathematical confidence and objectively tested capability among all gambling segments surveyed. Prediction market users reported nearly equivalent confidence levels but performed on objective math tests at levels closer to non-gamblers, exposing a gap between self-assessed skill and actual ability.

Cincinnati – September 17, 2026 -- Government inspectors found overcharging at more than one in three Kroger stores examined across nine Ohio jurisdictions, according to a report released this week by the Center for Responsible Food Business (CRFB). Pricing errors favored Kroger nearly three times as often as they favored shoppers.

Inspection records show 58 of 389 store checks failed between 2022 and mid-2026

The public-records data, covering nine Ohio jurisdictions, documented 644 incorrect prices during 389 inspections. Overcharges averaged more than 20 percent above posted shelf prices, and 36 of 101 stores examined were caught overcharging at least once.

Irvine, Calif. – September 14, 2026 -- U.S. consumers received just under 3.9 billion robocalls in August 2026, a 10% drop from July and the lowest monthly total since October 2025, according to the YouMail Robocall Index.

August volume falls to 125.4 million calls per day, reversing a year-long upward trend

Daily robocall averages dropped to 125.4 million calls, or 1,451 calls per second, down from July's 139.3 million calls per day and 1,612 calls per second. The decline pulls August volumes back to levels last seen in January and February, breaking the upward trajectory that had persisted through most of 2026.