Two historic CPPA enforcement actions in seven days — including the agency's first-ever fine targeting student data — signal that California's privacy enforcement machinery has come of age. Simultaneously, a federal court rejected Elon Musk's xAI attempt to gut the state's AI Training Data Transparency law.
CPPA press release — PlayOn Sports enforcementGoFan's platform processes tickets for approximately 1,400 California high schools. CPPA found the company used tracking technology to deliver targeted advertising to users — including minors — without adequate opt-out options, forced users to click "agree" to tracking before purchasing tickets, and redirected opt-out requests to third-party services rather than offering direct control.
Ford required consumers to verify their email address before processing opt-out requests for the sale of personal information from its digital properties and connected vehicle services. Under CCPA, opt-outs must be frictionless.
Elon Musk's AI company xAI sued to block California's Artificial Intelligence Training Data Transparency Act, which took effect January 1, 2026, arguing the law destroys trade secrets and violates free speech rights. The court rejected both theories.
The appeals court affirmed the California Public Utilities Commission's 2022 Net Energy Metering 3.0 tariff, ruling that "sustainable growth" does not require protecting the solar industry's historical profit margins. Homeowners who install rooftop solar panels now receive credit at the lower "avoided cost" rate rather than the retail electricity rate.
pv magazine USA — Full coverageCalifornia's Department of Insurance, Consumer Watchdog, and State Farm reached a settlement on the insurer's emergency post-wildfire rate increase request. The deal is estimated to save policyholders approximately $530 million compared to State Farm's original ask.
Shareholders alleged Edison International defrauded investors by overstating its ability to reduce wildfire risk through its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program — particularly in the wake of the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes. Judge Wright dismissed the fraud claims, finding the company's statements about PSPS capabilities were too vague and aspirational to constitute actionable misrepresentations under securities law.
SCE's equipment is suspected of igniting the January 2025 Eaton Fire. The utility established a voluntary compensation program, but thousands of survivors face the difficult decision of accepting early settlements or waiting for potential litigation outcomes.
For many Eaton Fire survivors, the early settlement offer represents a difficult calculus: accept a faster payout and waive future claims, or wait years for litigation that might yield more — or nothing. The decisions are being made against a backdrop of destroyed communities, temporary housing, and ongoing insurance disputes.
The Santa Barbara City Council voted 4-3 in January 2026 to freeze rent increases through December 31, 2026, while developing a permanent rent stabilization ordinance. The freeze applies to pre-1995 apartment buildings — excluding single-family homes and publicly managed units.
Attorney Barry Cappello and the Santa Barbara Rental Property Association announced plans to challenge the ordinance in court, arguing the freeze violates due process protections and constitutes an unconstitutional taking of property. Cappello warned that rent freezes historically lead to deterioration of housing stock.
Noozhawk — Landlords' challenge announcementPasadena is asking the California Supreme Court to review a December 2025 appellate ruling that prevents cities from requiring relocation assistance when tenants move after rent increases on rent-controlled units.
Took effect February 1, 2026 · Applies to all California employers
A sleeper decision with broad impact: the Court clarified when public agencies can be held liable for future CPRA violations, even after they've handed over every document they possess.
The California Apartment Association is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a December 2025 appellate ruling that barred Pasadena from requiring landlords to pay relocation assistance when tenants vacate after rent increases under just-cause eviction protections.
CAA — SCOTUS petition announcementProposition 36, which took effect December 2024, has generated roughly 678 eligible cases in Tulare County alone. Early data shows 55% of drug defendants entering treatment and 30% of theft cases resulting in state prison sentences — tracking with supporters' projections, diverging from opponents' predictions.
Our Valley Voice — Prop 36 first-year reviewThe PlayOn Sports action is part of a broader CPPA initiative targeting education technology. The agency has been scrutinizing ed-tech platforms that collect student data while providing ostensibly free services to schools — a practice that raises questions under both CCPA and FERPA.
CalMatters — Ed-tech privacy enforcement