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Warner bill would create federally vetted list for secure, trustworthy AI agents
21 days ago
- Senator Mark Warner proposes the AI AGENT Act to create a federally vetted list of secure and trustworthy AI agent providers.
- The bill would allow users of large online platforms to choose AI agents that comply with FTC security and identity standards.
- AI agents increasingly act on behalf of users, such as shopping or posting content, sometimes without consent.
- The FTC would certify bodies to vet AI vendors, ensuring privacy, data security, and user interest protections.
- Providers must link AI agents to human operator identities and include user controls to grant or revoke permissions.
- The bill aims to build a federal framework for innovation and consumer protection in agentic AI.
- AI agents can be unreliable, making absurd purchases or leaking data, highlighting the need for regulation.
- Export controls have been imposed on certain AI models, and there is ongoing negotiation for government oversight.
Bipartisan bill fails to protect consumers from datacenters' true costs
20 days ago
- The Ratepayer Protection Act is criticized for being largely voluntary and ineffective in protecting consumers from rising electricity costs due to datacenters.
- Datacenter expansion has caused electricity prices to spike by up to 267% in some regions, with significant increases in wholesale prices and other hidden costs.
- The bill prioritizes datacenter and utility needs, offering benefits like faster construction and grid connections, while ignoring broader public costs like water use and pollution.
- Consumer advocates argue the bill fails to address cumulative environmental impacts, such as water resource depletion and PFAS pollution from cooling systems.
- Proposed measures include reducing environmental reviews under NEPA, which could accelerate datacenter development instead of slowing it for community protection.
- Critics call for a moratorium on new AI datacenter projects and stronger regulatory oversight to prioritize community well-being over rapid industry growth.
- State utility commissions, already accused of favoring datacenters, are given only voluntary guidelines to control costs, making meaningful consumer protection unlikely.
Tripadvisor AI summaries give glowing reviews to dangerous hotels
20 days ago
- Tripadvisor's AI summaries are downplaying serious issues like food poisoning, sexual harassment, and hygiene failures at hotels.
- Investigation reveals AI summaries for hotels such as Riu Palace Santa Maria describe them positively despite numerous reports of illness and poor conditions.
- Guests at Riu Palace reported raw chicken, flies in food, and food poisoning, with legal action involving over 412 holidaymakers and seven deaths since 2023.
- Tripadvisor's AI tool Ollie incorrectly stated food poisoning was 'quite unlikely' at Riu Palace, contradicting guest reviews.
- AI summaries for other hotels like Garza Blanca and Occidental Caribe also omitted serious health and safety concerns from recent reviews.
- At Kaia Coracesium in Turkey, AI summarized service as 'friendly' despite multiple reports of sexual harassment from staff.
- Tripadvisor claims its AI summaries aim for transparency and are based on recent reviews, but Which? found inconsistencies in highlighting negative feedback.
- Google's AI summaries for the same hotels more accurately warn of issues like 'potential for illness' compared to Tripadvisor's.
- Which? advises travelers to scroll past AI summaries and check real guest reviews, especially one-star ratings, for safety information.
UK regulator warns of "arms race" to keep up with AI use in financial services
19 days ago
- UK regulators warn of an 'arms race' to keep up with AI use in financial services, as millions rely on it for personal finance decisions.
- FCA executive Sheldon Mills calls for greater powers and a review of AI tools like ChatGPT to ensure they fall under regulatory oversight.
- Report highlights AI's benefits (e.g., hyper-personalization) and risks (e.g., bias, manipulation), urging a review within 3-6 months on unregulated services and consumer harm.
- Research shows 20% of UK adults are open to using unregulated AI for financial decisions, despite lacking compensation recourse if issues arise.
- Firms note AI financial advice may be economically equivalent to regulated services but escapes current rules, creating regulatory gaps.
Nintendo says users voluntarily paid prices, have no right to tariff refunds
4 days ago
- Nintendo has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit demanding it pass tariff refunds to customers, arguing no legal obligation exists.
- The class action lawsuit, filed by two US residents, accuses Nintendo of unjust enrichment and violating the Washington Consumer Protection Act by raising prices due to tariffs and retaining refunds.
- Nintendo contends that customers voluntarily paid advertised prices and received products, and the company is not legally required to share any tariff refunds it receives from the government.
Stop getting screwed by professionals who want to upsell you
3 days ago
- A mechanic's incorrect timing belt installation caused $6,000 in damage, highlighting the need for an independent third-party quote checker.
- NoDog offers a $10, one-time report that checks every line item of a quote against real prices and evidence, providing specific questions to ask before approving.
- The service covers various trades (cars, furnaces, teeth, pets, pipes) and works in the US, UK, and Europe, with quotes kept private and deleted after 90 days.
- Users can upload a photo, PDF, or paste text of the quote, describe what happened, and receive a per-line verdict with useful questions for the provider.
- A sample report for a 2019 Toyota Corolla shows how NoDog evaluates each line, flagging high prices and asking for proof of measurements.
New Jersey bans grocery stores from using shoppers' personal data to set prices
a day ago
- New Jersey bans grocery stores from using shoppers' personal data for surveillance pricing.
- The Fair Price Protection Act prohibits using digital history, biometrics, or genetic data to set personalized prices.
- The law takes effect August 1, 2027, and allows consumers to sue violators for refunds, revoked permits, and fines up to $10,000 for first offenses.
- It imposes a one-year pause on electronic shelf labels while the state studies their potential for unfair pricing.
- Surveillance pricing is distinct from dynamic pricing, loyalty discounts, and promotions, which remain legal.
- New Jersey is the third state to ban grocery surveillance pricing, following Maryland and Connecticut.
- Supporters argue the law protects consumers amid rising grocery costs, while opponents warn it could reduce loyalty programs and discounts.

consumer protection

Warner bill would create federally vetted list for secure, trustworthy AI agents

Bipartisan bill fails to protect consumers from datacenters' true costs

Tripadvisor AI summaries give glowing reviews to dangerous hotels

UK regulator warns of "arms race" to keep up with AI use in financial services

Nintendo says users voluntarily paid prices, have no right to tariff refunds

Stop getting screwed by professionals who want to upsell you

New Jersey bans grocery stores from using shoppers' personal data to set prices