Consumer protections serve as the foundation of our economy, which relies on consumer spending. Straightforward and fair business practices, marketing materials, and contracts empower consumers to understand the benefits and risks of products and services so they can make informed choices about what to buy.

In addition, individuals must be protected from abuse, neglect, discrimination, crime, and financial exploitation. Older adults can be especially vulnerable and may need extra safeguards. 

• Policymakers should ensure consumer protections in the marketplace. Consumer protection policies should ensure fair competition and protect consumers from unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices. To achieve these goals, policies should prioritize safety, promote fair play and practice, foster transparency, protect the right to restitution for harm or injury, safeguard privacy and security, and keep pace with technological changes.

• All consumers should have access to affordable, reliable, essential products and services. These include heating and cooling, telephone and digital communications, financial products and services, and transportation. These products and services also should be affordable, safe, and reliable.

• Policymakers and the private sector should harness the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) while actively protecting against its potential harms. They also should ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability when AI tools are used to make or inform consequential decisions, such as those regarding health and financial well-being. The level of government regulation and required human oversight (sometimes referred to as human-in-the-loop) for AI tools should be commensurate with the risk of harm to individuals.

• Policymakers should enact, strengthen and enforce civil rights statutes. Laws should eliminate practices that specifically target or have a disproportionately negative effect on groups that are discriminated against. Protections should include safeguards against age discrimination, which is a serious challenge for many older adults, as well as all other forms of bias. 
  
  
• Policymakers should enact protections for vulnerable populations, such as older adults with mental or physical impairments. People in these groups may be at particular risk for elder abuse. Such abuse may be physical, emotional, financial, or a combination of these. Incapacitated older adults have a right to have their wishes carried out.
  
  
• Policymakers should prioritize individual dignity, autonomy and choice. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect, regardless of factors such as  age, background, health, or economic status. Honoring dignity includes respecting and enabling personal and financial choices.