Who regulates consumer protection and enforces consumer law?
In the United States, both federal and state governments have enacted extensive legislation on several areas of consumer law. The federal government enforces federal consumer laws and agency regulations through various means, including litigation by the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Consumer Protection (a division of the Federal Trade Commission.) The mission of the Bureau of Consumer Protection is to “protect consumers against unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices.” It fulfills its mandate by investigating fraud (in individual companies as well as entire industries), conducting litigation, and educating businesses and consumers on consumer law. All states have consumer protection laws, which are enforced by a state’s Attorney General. In addition, private litigants enforce consumer laws through private lawsuits. Some states encourage private litigation of consumer law by passing “private attorneys general statutes.” Such laws enable a successful plaintiff to recover att
