Right now, the Federal Administration is dismantling key consumer protections at a troublingly fast rate, making current consumer issues worse and reintroducing previously addressed matters. Our present reality underscores the role we all play to ensure the future being built is one we all deserve. Oregon can be a place where our families come first, not corporate profits.
Now it's time to show up, claim our rights as consumers, and engage in the necessary and hard work ahead to win greater protections for our communities and ensure every one of us can live a joyful, healthy life.
Consumer Protections in the United States
The following timeline represents the evolution of consumer protection rights in the United States, showcasing a gradual shift from the notion of "let the buyer beware" (caveat emptor) to a marketplace that considers consumer safety, information, and fairness. While much has been done to protect consumers at both the state and federal levels, as technology and business tactics rapidly advance and evolve, so must consumer protections to account for the new issues created for consumers, particularly in areas like digital privacy, financial technology, and environmental protection.
The history of consumer protection in the United States dates back to the late 1700s. Since then, many provisions have been put in place to protect consumers in an ever-evolving marketplace. The following highlights 10 of the most important and relevant consumer protections we should all know about.
Consumers and small businesses gain legal protection against powerful monopolies that control prices and crush competition. Before this law, giant trusts like Standard Oil could easily buy out or destroy their competitors, forcing families to pay jacked-up prices on essential goods.
This landmark consumer safety law gives Americans the right to know what they are eating and the contents of their medicines. Previously, companies could sell food and "patent medicines" with dangerous substances without disclosure. The Act mandates accurate ingredient listings and bans "cure-all" medicines with secret, harmful components.
The FTC is created as America's first consumer protection agency, giving ordinary citizens a powerful ally against dishonest businesses. Previously, consumers had little protection against false advertising, dangerous products, or scams. The FTC investigates consumer complaints, stops deceptive business practices, and ensures fair competition.
Consumers gain legal protection against false advertising and deceptive sales tactics that cheat Americans out of their hard-earned money. Previously, companies could make false claims about products, use bait-and-switch tactics, and misrepresent prices without consequences. The Act establishes a robust framework for state consumer protection laws.
The Kennedy Administration outlines Americans’ first formal declaration of basic consumer rights, saying that every citizen deserves protection in the marketplace: "Consumers, by definition, include us all." The Bill establishes four fundamental protections for everyday Americans: the right to safety, to be informed, to choose, and to be heard.
This legislation creates a federal agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to set safety standards and force automakers to recall dangerous vehicles at their own expense. Before this law, car companies could sell unsafe vehicles with no fear of consequences.
Lenders are mandated to reveal the true cost of loans in clear terms, providing consumers with agency in choosing loans that best meet their needs. Before this law, lenders could trap consumers by hiding fees and real interest rates in deceptive loan terms. The 1998 Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act amends TILA.
This Act protects consumers’ financial privacy by requiring financial institutions to explain their information-sharing practices, giving consumers rights concerning third-party data sharing, and mandating regular privacy notices. Before this law, financial institutions could freely share or sell customers' sensitive data.
A crackdown on overwhelming spam emails by finally equipping consumers with control over their email inboxes. The Act required honest subject lines, valid return addresses, and clear unsubscribe options that companies had to honor. Previously, marketers could flood inboxes with misleading emails, fake return addresses, and no way to unsubscribe.
This Act created America's first dedicated consumer financial oversight body in response to the 2008 financial crisis, which devastated millions of families. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) enforces consumer protection laws, handles consumer complaints, and ensures fairness and transparency in financial products.
Discover the hard-won victories that built America's consumer protections while learning what challenges remain to create a truly equitable marketplace and how current actions are influencing the protection landscape.
The current Federal Administration is taking concentrated steps to undermine consumer protections, most notably by dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and diminishing its ability to protect consumers against law-breaking companies, fraudulent practices, predatory lending, and other financially devastating behaviors.
