FTC

An independent United States government agency, reporting directly to Congress, the FTC was created in 1914 to prevent unfair methods of competition in commerce. In 1938, Congress passed the Wheeler-Lea Amendment, which included 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 passed the Magnuson-Moss Act, which gave the FTC the authority to adopt trade regulation rules that define unfair or deceptive acts in particular industries, and that have the force of law.The FTC is organized into the Bureaus of Consumer Protection, Competition, and Economics.