Attorney General William Tong, along with the U.S. Department of Justice and eight other state attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against RealPage Inc. for allegedly using its algorithmic pricing software to facilitate price fixing among landlords and monopolize the market for revenue management software. The complaint alleges that RealPage collects competitively sensitive rental data from landlords to train its algorithm, which then recommends prices, harming renters by reducing competition. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to end these practices and restore competition.
The complaint seeks an injunction to prohibit RealPage from continuing its alleged antitrust violations, including the use of its pricing algorithm to coordinate rents and maintain its monopoly in the commercial revenue management software market.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor and customer agreements with property management software providers like RealPage, focusing on clauses governing the sharing of competitively sensitive data (e.g., rental rates, lease terms) and the use of algorithmic pricing recommendations. Specific clauses to examine include data licensing terms, non-disclosure provisions, exclusivity requirements, and any language that could be interpreted as facilitating coordinated pricing among competitors. Agreements may need amendments to explicitly prohibit the use of shared data for price-fixing, ensure landlords retain full autonomy over final pricing decisions, and require transparency on how algorithms use competitor data. Additionally, review termination rights and audit provisions to monitor compliance with antitrust guidelines.
Entity
RealPage Inc.
Also known as: RealPage
Industry
TechnologyOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2024-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-joins-lawsuit-against-realpage-inc-for-alleged-antitrust-violations
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https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1364976/dl?inline
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of states and local governments in filing suit against NHTSA over its rule weakening fuel economy standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. The lawsuit alleges the rule violates the agency’s statutory mandate and the Administrative Procedure Act; no penalty or final remedy is reported.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition suing the EPA over its repeal of greenhouse gas pollution limits for power plants and separately filed a notice of intent to sue over regulation of existing gas plants. The coalition asks the court to overturn the repeal and restore the protections; the release reports no monetary penalty or final order.
$400.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $400 million settlement with Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. resolving allegations that the generic drug manufacturers conspired to inflate prices, limit competition, and restrain trade. The settlement includes consumer restitution and injunctive reforms; court approval was being sought.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing a DHS rule that allows certain affirmative asylum applications to be referred to removal proceedings without an asylum officer interview. The coalition argues the rule violates federal law and harms asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children; this was a policy opposition letter, not a privacy enforcement action.
Connecticut and Massachusetts co-led a coalition protest urging FERC to reject the proposed NextEra Energy-Dominion Energy merger. The coalition argued that the merger could increase market power and threaten energy affordability, reliability, and competition; the release does not report a final enforcement decision or penalty.
Connecticut officials warned residents about potential home improvement scams before an approaching nor’easter, including unlicensed contractors, high-pressure sales tactics, and demands for full payment upfront. The release provides consumer guidance on checking contractors and contract requirements; it does not announce an enforcement action or penalty against a named entity.