- California AG Rob Bonta led a bipartisan coalition of AGs and state charity regulators in sending a letter to GoFundMe seeking information about reports that the platform allegedly created donation web pages for charities without their prior knowledge or consent, potentially violating state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws.
- In the letter, the coalition argues the allegedly unauthorized pages sparked donor confusion and undermined charities’ control over their brands; may have misled donors through inaccurate charity information, unclear donor-advised fund routing, page designs that could imply affiliation where none existed; and reported default “tip” and search practices that could steer donors away from charities’ official campaigns.
- The coalition demands GoFundMe verify that it removed all unauthorized pages, explain its takedown process and search engine optimization practices, and provide clearer, prominent disclosures about who receives donations and what fees or tips may apply, among other requirements.
- It requests a response within 14 days and says additional investigative requests are forthcoming.