On April 28, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other state attorneys general and New York City in sending letters to major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating illegal vaping product sales. The coalition highlighted that most vapor products lack required FDA authorization and many online sellers violate the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, including failing to implement youth access safeguards. The coalition requested a meeting to discuss prohibiting noncompliant merchants from using payment networks, building on existing state enforcement actions against illegal vape sellers.
In-house legal teams at payment processors should review merchant agreements to include requirements for FDA authorization of e-cigarette products, compliance with PACT Act obligations including age verification and registration, and prohibitions on selling illegal vapes. Vape merchants should review payment processor agreements to ensure compliance with federal and state laws to avoid termination. All parties should verify that contracts include rights to audit merchant compliance and terminate for cause related to illegal sales, with specific clauses addressing youth access and prohibited product sales.
Entity
Bipartisan Coalition of 25 State Attorneys General and City of New York
Industry
OtherOfficial 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"
"Office of the Attorney General William Tong"
"joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the City of New York"
"bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the City of New York"
"Federal law requires that all e-cigarette products receive authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be legally marketed or sold in the United States."
$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.
$13.7M
Connecticut joined a coalition of states and the federal government in settling allegations that Takeda paid healthcare providers speaker honoraria and provided meals to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, leading to allegedly false claims to government healthcare programs. Takeda agreed to pay $13,670,921 plus accrued interest, with portions allocated to federal and state programs.