Origin Story: The Consumer Protection Agency

The U.S. Consumer Protection Agency exists to defend Americans from unsafe, unfair, and deceptive practices in the marketplace. Its foundations were laid in 1962, when President John F. Kennedy introduced the Consumer Bill of Rights, declaring consumers’ rights to safety, information, choice, and a voice in the system.

Over the following decades, this vision took shape through agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which targeted deceptive business practices, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), created in 1972 to protect the public from dangerous products.

But it was the 2008 financial crisis that sparked the most significant evolution in consumer protection. In 2010, Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) under the Dodd-Frank Act to regulate banks, lenders, and financial institutions. The CFPB gave consumers a dedicated ally in the face of complex financial systems.

That mission is being tested today. In March 2025, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s sweeping attempt to dismantle the CFPB through mass layoffs and operational shutdowns. Critics warned that eliminating the agency would expose Americans to greater risk of fraud, abuse, and financial instability. The court’s ruling temporarily preserves vital protections for millions of consumers.

Today, the U.S. Consumer Protection Agency—represented through multiple federal bodies like the CFPB, FTC, and CPSC—serves as a guardian for the public interest. It works to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the marketplace. Its mission: to empower and protect consumers, promote competition, and uphold trust in the American economy.

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