On July 14, 2026, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California granted a request for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of SB 343, also known as California’s “Truth in Recycling” law. Restrictions on recyclability claims were set to take effect on October 4, 2026, for products or packaging manufactured after
FTC Maintains Focus on “Made in USA” Claims
Following a sweep of enforcement actions and closing letters related to “Made in the USA” (MUSA) claims earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or the Commission) continues its focus on these claims with recent warning letters to seven companies. On July 6, 2026, the FTC announced that it had issued warning letters to
Supreme Court Rules FTC Commissioner Can Be Fired
On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States (the Court) struck down Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, the nearly century-old precedent that restricted presidential authority to fire independent agency officers at will. The Court’s decision in Trump v. Slaughter, in which a former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
California Packaging EPR Program Faces Legal Challenges
On June 22, 2026, a coalition of 17 states led by Nebraska’s attorney general (AG) plus the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of California, challenging the constitutionality of SB 54 (or the Act), California’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging. Defendants include the California Department of
Producers Must Register by June 1 Under California’s New EPR Regulations
The registration deadline for businesses covered under California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) is fast approaching. On May 1, 2026, the final regulations for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program established by the Act became effective; a copy of the final regulations has not yet been posted. Producers now have
FTC Follows New Executive Order with a “Made in the USA” Sweep
On April 14, following last month’s Executive Order (EO) directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Agency) to prioritize enforcement of fraudulent “Made in the U.S.A.” (MUSA) claims, the FTC announced three new MUSA enforcement actions involving four companies. Read the update here.
A New Federal Safety Standard for Water Bead Toys Now in Effect
Mandatory requirements for water bead toys came into force on March 12, 2026. The Federal Safety Standard for Water Beads (Final Rule) amends the Safety Standard for Toys, 16 C.F.R. Part 1250 (Toy Standard), by adding performance and labeling requirements “to eliminate or adequately reduce the risk of injury and death to children from
Industry Groups Challenge Constitutionality of California’s “Truth in Labeling” Law
On March 17, 2026, a coalition of 18 food industry groups and trade associations brought suit in California federal court challenging the constitutionality of California’s “Truth in Labeling” law (SB 343). Plaintiffs seek a declaration that SB 343 is unconstitutional and a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of the law while the suit
FTC Issues COPPA Enforcement Policy Statement Promoting Age-Verification Technology
On February 25, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released an important children’s privacy enforcement discretion statement: COPPA – Enforcement Policy Statement Promoting the Adoption of Age-Verification Technology. Age verification of minors is an increasingly hot topic in children’s privacy law, as several states recently adopted laws requiring companies to conduct age verification before
Kids and Teens Privacy: 2025 Look Back and 2026 Predictions – Part II: The State Privacy Patchwork
As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, while the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) remains the primary federal law protecting children’s online privacy, there is a growing patchwork of state laws aimed at protecting both children and teens online. These laws identify a variety of potential harms, but many of them expand