News-July-29-2026
July 29, 2026 — The Third Circuit revived an antitrust class action alleging Atlantic City casino operators used an AI-assisted pricing platform to coordinate hotel rates; New York issued final rules restricting algorithmically personalized social-media feeds and nighttime notifications for minors; and two U.S. senators introduced the RESULTS Act to modernize state education and workforce data systems for an AI-shaped economy.[1][2][3]
Contents
- Third Circuit revives Atlantic City AI-pricing antitrust case
- New York finalizes SAFE for Kids algorithmic-feed rules
- Senators introduce RESULTS Act for education and workforce data systems
Third Circuit revives Atlantic City AI-pricing antitrust case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that hotel guests had plausibly alleged a federal antitrust conspiracy involving Atlantic City casino operators and Cendyn's Rainmaker revenue-management platform, reversing an October 2024 dismissal and allowing the proposed class action to proceed.[1]
The complaint alleges that hotel owners supplied real-time price and occupancy information to Rainmaker, which used AI-assisted algorithms to recommend room rates.[1] The appellate panel said the plaintiffs should have an opportunity to obtain technical evidence about the software and wrote that AI tools can enable competitors to coordinate pricing and exchange information without direct communications.[1] The ruling addressed the sufficiency of the allegations rather than deciding whether the defendants violated antitrust law.[1]
New York finalizes SAFE for Kids algorithmic-feed rules
Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced final regulations implementing New York's SAFE for Kids Act on July 29.[2][4] The rules apply to covered platforms that display user-generated content and on which users spend at least 20 percent of their time viewing algorithmically personalized feeds over a six-month period.[2]
Covered platforms must withhold personalized feeds and notifications between midnight and 6 a.m. from users under 18 unless parental consent is obtained, and they must offer an age-assurance option that does not require government identification.[2][4] Data collected for age assurance or parental consent must be minimized and deleted or de-identified after its intended use.[2][4]
The final rules were scheduled for publication in the State Register on July 29, and the law will take effect 180 days later, on January 25, 2027.[2] The attorney general may seek injunctions and civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation.[2]
Senators introduce RESULTS Act for education and workforce data systems
Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Roger Marshall of Kansas introduced the bipartisan Reimagining Education and Skills through Unified Longitudinal Talent Systems Act, or RESULTS Act, on July 29.[3] The bill would update the federal Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems program and encourage states to connect information across early-childhood education, K–12 schools, higher education, and workforce systems.[3]
The proposal would broaden grant eligibility to governors and state-designated data-governance bodies, expand state access to the National Directory of New Hires for required education and workforce reporting, and consolidate the Education Department's longitudinal-data program with the Labor Department's Workforce Data Quality Initiative.[3] The sponsors presented the measure as a way to improve data used to track skills, employment outcomes, and education needs as AI changes labor markets.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Reuters, “US court revives lawsuit claiming AI software fueled price-gouging by New Jersey casinos,” July 29, 2026
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, “Governor Hochul and Attorney General James Announce Final SAFE for Kids Act Rules to Protect Children Online,” July 29, 2026
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 StateScoop, “New Senate bill would update state education, workforce data systems for AI era,” July 29, 2026
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Office of the New York Attorney General, “SAFE for Kids Act — Final Rule,” July 29, 2026