I enjoy the content offered in free webinars. The topics are timely and the speakers are knowledgeable. I do presentations on consumer and Medicare fraud to older adults, so Consumer Action helps keep me aware of current issues. --Jennifer Pardini, Legal Assistance for Seniors and HICAP, Oakland, CA, via Consumer Action feedback survey

Data brokers are companies that collect, buy, aggregate and sell data about individuals and their internet-connected devices. They generally do not have customer relationships with the individuals whose data they trade in. The activities of data brokers, which include selling data to marketers and "people search" platforms, are generally unregulated, although some states have placed limits on some of their activities. A December 2021 report by the Center for Democracy and Technology highlights a concerning market for their data: federal agencies. Legal Loopholes and Data for Dollars looks at how law enforcement and intelligence agencies are spending millions of dollars to gain access to private sector databases that often contain very sensitive and very personal information about Americans, thereby evading requirements that they use a legal process, such as a warrant, to obtain data directly from service providers. If you find this objectionable, let your Congressmembers know, in your own words, by using our free webform.

By Monica Steinisch

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives people living in the state important rights, but a survey revealed that many are unaware of their options. Materials produced by Consumer Action and Consumer Federation of America (CFA) as part of their California Privacy Initiative are designed to help consumers learn about and exercise their CCPA rights. Read more.

By Linda Sherry

A New Jersey man signed up with a "competitive" energy supplier offering power generated from renewal resources. He didn't realize his monthly electric bill would more than triple following the switch. Read more.

By Monica Steinisch

Consumer Action's "Get Credit for Your Hard Work" fact sheet has been updated to reflect changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit for the 2021 tax year. Among the updates: much higher income limits for workers without children, and a credit for childless workers that is nearly triple last year's! Read more.

By Nelson Santiago

In light of the continued spread of Omicron and the ever-present threat of new COVID-19 variants, Consumer Action staff produced a video based on our myth-busting "Coping with COVID-19: Distinguishing between vaccine fact and fiction" publication. Available in English and Spanish, the video offers tips on recognizing and stemming vaccine misinformation and encourages consumers to get vaccinated. Read more.

By Alegra Howard

Consumer Action often joins its allies in letters, comments and complaints calling for change, standing up for consumer rights, supporting or opposing proposed laws and objecting to corporate misbehavior, among other activities. We collect these in the Coalition Efforts section of our website. Each month in the INSIDER, we highlight some recent activities. Read more.

By Ruth Susswein

In this regular feature, we detail recent actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This month, we report on new findings that reveal that the Big Three credit bureaus are choosing not to investigate some consumers' complaints of inaccurate credit reports. Read more.

By Rose Chan

Consumer Action maintains a database of class actions so that interested consumers can learn more, join a pending action or make a claim. Class action lawsuits are an important element of consumer protection and can force changes to anti-consumer business practices and make bad actors return ill-gotten gains to consumers. Read more.

Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low- and moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.  

By providing consumer education materials in multiple languages, a free national hotline, a comprehensive website and special reports about financial and consumer services, Consumer Action helps consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and make financially savvy choices. More than 6,500 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support. Read more.