Consumer Watchdog

Energy reform -- consumer watchdog (cwd) investigates the regulation of companies generating fossil fuels and pollution, advocates to improve oversight of the oil, gas, and utility industries, and fights for reliable, affordable, and clean energy. In 2024, cwd educated the public about the need to limit fossil fuel supplies in the fight against climate change, including curbing oil drilling. Cwd conducted extensive research showing oil refiners' profits are consistently higher in california than across the nation, advocated for regulations imposing a price-gouging penalty on refiners, and supported successful legislation mandating refiners maintain a minimum gasoline supply to stabilize prices. Cwd backed successful legislation to close 800 active oil wells in los angeles this decade and helped stop a referendum challenging a new ban on community oil drilling. Cwd published quarterly updates to its online map documenting the extent of oil and gas well permitting in the state of california, maintaining public pressure for an end to new extraction permits and a health and safety buffer between homes and wells. Cwd backed polluter pays legislation to hold oil companies responsible for health and environmental harms.

Healthcare & insurance reform -- consumer watchdog (cwd) fights to protect consumers from home, auto and health insurance abuses, to improve patient safety and accountability in the health care system, and for universally accessible and affordable health care. In 2024 cwd organized patients who have been harmed by medical negligence to share their stories and advocate for improved accountability for doctors before the legislature and medical board of california. Cwd organized families harmed by the maternal mortality crisis and grew community health fairs focused on maternal health awareness. Cwd works to enforce and protect california's insurance reform proposition 103, which regulates auto, homeowners and small business insurance. Cwd educated the public, news media and policymakers about rate savings and consumer protections under prop 103, insurance industry profitability in the state, and fought regulations by the state's top regulator that roll back accountability at the insurance industry's behest. Cwd advocated for legislation to require insurance companies to cover homeowners who do wildfire mitigation as a response to the growing homeowners insurance crisis.

Privacy, corporate accountability & political reform -- consumer watchdog (cwd) educates the public about issues related to consumer rights, privacy, technology and political reform, and researches and informs the public about corporate involvement in the political process. In 2024, cwd advocated at the state privacy agency for strong regulations to combat unfair decision-making and bias by automated decision-making and ai. Cwd issued three new privacy reports on tracking and collection of consumer data, including "surveillance price gouging," which exposed the growing practice of consumers being charged different prices based on surveillance. Cwd researched and exposed the conflicts of interest created by corporate campaign contributions to politicians across our program areas.