Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC touches the economic life of every American with duties that include advancing consumers’ interests by sharing its expertise with federal and state legislatures, developing policy and research tools, and creating practical and plain-language educational programs for consumers and businesses in a global marketplace with constantly changing technologies.
When the FTC was created in 1914, its purpose was to prevent unfair methods of competition in commerce as part of the battle to “bust the trusts.” Over the years, Congress passed additional laws giving the agency greater authority to police anticompetitive practices. In 1938, Congress passed a broad prohibition against “unfair and deceptive acts or practices.” Since then, the Commission also has been directed to administer a wide variety of other consumer protection laws, including the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Pay-Per-Call Rule and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. In 1975, Congress gave the FTC the authority to adopt industry-wide trade regulation rules. The FTC’s work is performed by the Bureaus of Consumer Protection, Competition, and Economics. Their work is aided by the Office of General Counsel and seven regional offices.
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U.S. General Services Administration