Consumer Watchdog

4 days ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

Los Angeles, CA—California’s bill regulating surveillance pricing, AB 446 (Ward), moves to the Senate after passing a State Assembly floor vote this afternoon, 44-16. The bill is now expected to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Companies are using personal data against us to charge people different prices for the same exact product,” said Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. “They want to know how bad you want that hat and charge you as much as possible.

1 week ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA — State oil and gas regulators approved just three new drilling permits in the first quarter of 2025 compared to zero approvals the same quarter last year, according to a new analysis by Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance. Overall, single digit approvals for new wells continue a trend of dramatic permit approval drops.

1 week ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

Los Angeles, CA—California’s landmark bill regulating surveillance pricing, AB 446 (Ward), advanced out of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary today by a vote of 8 to 3. “Companies are using our data against us in ways that we fully don’t understand,” said Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog.

2 weeks ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

After enormous pushback from large companies, the governor and from within, California’s top privacy agency today approved a package of gutted regulations surrounding personal information and automated decisions deployed by businesses. Perhaps most significantly, the definition of what constitutes an automated decision has been narrowed to systems that “substantially facilitate” a decision.

2 weeks ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Rob Nikolewski |SoCal Gas

By Rob Nikolewski, MERCURY NEWS Gov. Gavin Newsom seems to be taking a friendlier tone regarding the petroleum industry, as two refineries recently announced they would close down operations in California. Earlier this week, Newsom sent a letter to California Energy Commission vice chair Siva Gunda, directing Gunda to “redouble the State’s efforts to work closely with refiners” to help ensure Californians have access to transportation fuels such as gasoline in the short and long term.