U.S. states issued $3.45 billion in privacy-related fines to companies in 2025, a total larger  than the last five years combined, according to research and advisory firm Gartner. The increase is partly driven in part by stronger, more established privacy laws in states like California, new interstate partnerships built around enforcing laws across state lines, and a renewed focus to how AI and automation affect privacy. The data indicates that “regulators are shifting their efforts away from aw...