consumer protection

consumer protection

Legal framework promoting customer safety and education and providing protection from hazardous or substandard products and from fraud. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (established 1914) and the Food and Drug Administration (established 1927) help ensure consumer protection. Regulations address manufacture and design, advertising, labeling, and sales methods. In 1985 the UN produced its Guidelines for Consumer Protection (updated 1995); they cover consumer safety and product standards and education, providing a framework and a benchmark for governments (particularly of less developed countries) to establish a legal basis for consumer protection. See also consumerism, Ralph Nader.