Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued an advisory that newly enacted privacy laws take effect October 1, 2026, including Public Act 26-64 (SB4), which amends the Connecticut Data Privacy Act, and Public Act 26-15 (SB5), which established the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act (CART Act). The new laws regulate surveillance pricing, facial recognition technology, genetic data collected by direct-to-consumer testing companies, a ban on the sale of precise geolocation data, a data broker registry, AI use in employment decisions, and chatbots offered to children. No enforcement action was taken; this is prospective guidance alerting consumers and businesses to new rights and compliance requirements.
None - no enforcement action or remedies were imposed. This press release is a prospective advisory that new statutory requirements (surveillance pricing limits, FRT disclosures, genetic data consent, geolocation data sale ban, data broker registration by January 1, 2027, AI employment notice, and chatbot child-safety protocols) take effect October 1, 2026.
Although no enforcement action was taken, in-house teams should prepare for Connecticut's October 1, 2026 effective date by reviewing vendor, customer, and employee-facing agreements and policies. Review data processing addenda and adtech/marketing agreements for any sale or sharing of consumers' precise geolocation data (now banned in Connecticut) and for pricing-analytics vendors using personal data for surveillance pricing; review facial recognition vendor contracts for new signage and policy-hyperlink disclosure obligations; review direct-to-consumer genetic testing agreements for consent, consumer property rights, and controls over collection, use, retention, and destruction of genetic samples and results; review AI vendor agreements and employment policies for written-notice obligations when AI impacts employment decisions and non-discrimination terms aligned with the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act; and review chatbot or children's product agreements for self-harm detection protocols, parental controls, and prohibitions on harmful or manipulative engagement mechanics. Also confirm data broker registration obligations (deadline January 1, 2027) in data broker contracts and update privacy policies and deletion workflows for expanded consumer deletion rights over profiles generated from publicly available information.
Entity
N/A - General advisory to Connecticut businesses and consumers (no specific entity)
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/rights-and-requirements-related-to-new-and-updated-privacy-laws
2026SB 00004 R00SA AMD
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/amd/S/pdf/2026SB-00004-R00SA-AMD.pdf
2026SB 00005 R00SA AMD
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/amd/S/pdf/2026SB-00005-R00SA-AMD.pdf
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"Attorney General Tong Advises Connecticut Consumers and Businesses of Rights and Requirements Related to New and Updated Privacy Laws"
"Attorney General William Tong today advises Connecticut consumers"
"beginning October 1, 2026, they will enjoy additional privacy rights"
"under newly-enacted laws related to artificial intelligence, Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), genetic data privacy, surveillance pricing, and data brokers"
"recent amendments to the Connecticut Data Privacy Act ("CTDPA")"
"Connecticut enacted Public Act 26-64 ("SB4") in May of this year to amend the CTDPA"
$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.