On April 28, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and New York City in sending letters to major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating sales of illegal vaping products. The coalition, led by New York, Pennsylvania, California, and NYC, called for collaboration to stop unlawful sales of unauthorized e-cigarettes that violate federal FDA premarket authorization requirements and the PACT Act. The letters request a meeting to discuss prohibiting noncompliant merchants from using the payment networks, citing past successful government-private sector collaboration in reducing illegal tobacco sales.
In-house legal teams at payment processors should review merchant services agreements to include explicit requirements for compliance with the federal PACT Act, FDA premarket authorization requirements for e-cigarette products, and state laws prohibiting sales of unauthorized vaping products to minors. These agreements should include representations and warranties from merchants confirming their products are FDA-authorized, termination clauses for noncompliance with applicable laws, and audit rights allowing the payment processor to verify adherence to age verification and registration requirements. For merchants selling vaping products, their vendor agreements with suppliers should include clauses requiring suppliers to provide proof of FDA authorization for all e-cigarette products, and indemnification for any losses resulting from sales of unauthorized products. All relevant agreements should also include breach notification clauses requiring merchants to promptly disclose any regulatory actions or investigations related to illegal vaping sales.
Entity
American Express, Capital One, Citi Group, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Sezzle, Block (operator of Square, Cash App, and Afterpay)
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-joins-bipartisan-effort-to-curb-sales-of-illegal-vaping-products
vaping letters.pdf?rev=6f1af1595fd14ccb894e1c9ed4bf5991&hash
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2026/vaping-letters.pdf?rev=6f1af1595fd14ccb894e1c9ed4bf5991&hash=22468F22CABA98B48C3BE34C12783967
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"Attorney General Tong Joins Bipartisan Effort to Curb Sales of Illegal Vaping Products"
"04/28/2026"
"Attorney General Tong today joined a bipartisan coalition"
"Office of the Attorney General William Tong"
"bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the City of New York"
"major credit card companies and payment processors, including American Express, Capital One, Citi Group, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Sezzle, and Block (operator of Square, Cash App, and Afterpay)"
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a bipartisan coalition of 24 state attorneys general, Puerto Rico, and New York City in sending letters to nine major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating illegal vaping product sales. The coalition cites federal and state laws prohibiting unauthorized e-cigarette sales, particularly to youth, and requests collaboration to prevent payment networks from processing such transactions. No enforcement penalties or actions were imposed as part of this initiative.
$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.
$2.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with RZ Smoke, Inc. over allegations that it distributed and sold high-potency cannabis products without a state license. The stipulated judgment is $2 million, with $375,000 payable to the State and $1.6 million suspended to ensure compliance; the company is barred from specified cannabis activities in Connecticut unless licensed.