top of page

CONSUMER PROTECTION

ISSUE AREA
In the 20th century, hard-won reforms gave American consumers safeguards against fraud, unsafe practices, and financial predation. In recent decades, corporate lobbyists and allied lawmakers have worked to rollback these protections, putting everyday Americans at the mercy of bad actors embedded throughout the economy. This rollback period has coincided with the rise of the modern digital economy, which has given bad actors seemingly endless opportunities to exploit consumers.
On any given day, an average consumer can expect to pay prices at checkout higher than those advertised, be forced to pay a monthly subscription they have been deceptively trapped into, and struggle to get refunded for a faulty or dangerous purpose. Data leaks, often the result of data brokers' malfeasance, have made phone and email scams a near-daily occurrence. This reality, far from a natural consequence of digitization, is the result of deliberate policy choices that can and should be challenged. Strong consumer protection rules must be paired with equally strong public institutions capable of enforcing safeguards.

8 JUNE 2026
United O’Hare controversy brings gate access into focus for airline competition policy
Concerns over United Airlines' deliberate overscheduling at Chicago O'Hare brings attention to the role of gate access in airline competition
bottom of page













