The Bureau of Consumer Protection seeks to provide clear, accessible, and timely guidance that helps the public, industry, and businesses understand and comply with the law. To ensure rules promulgated by the Commission protect consumers and the marketplace, the Bureau has created a dedicated mechanism for interested stakeholders to identify genuine ambiguities in the Commission’s rules, substantive conflicts between a rule and an existing statute or other rule, and other significant issues that may exist within Commission rules. The Bureau values input from all stakeholders on the Commission’s rules, as it helps the Bureau identify unnecessary or confusing Commission rules that do not benefit consumers or the marketplace. As part of this program, the Bureau may provide guidance on Commission rules as needed, reflecting the principle of good government by listening and responding to the concerns of the public, industry, and businesses.
How to identify issues for the Bureau’s consideration
- Use the Submit an Issue for Consideration form to select the specific Commission rule.
- Identify the Commission rule and explain the issue identified. Your response should provide information about specific parts of the rule and the context in which the issue arises.
What to expect
If the Bureau determines that a Commission rule has a genuine ambiguity, creates a substantive conflict with an existing statute or other rule, or contains some other significant issue, the Bureau may issue guidance as needed. The Bureau will decide whether and when to address submitted issues.
Other Information
The Commission and its staff publish a variety of materials to inform businesses about and help clarify FTC rules, including:
The Bureau will not respond to questions that can be answered by reviewing the text of the rule, existing plain-language business guidance, or formal advisory opinions. Guidance from staff is not a substitute for a business’s own legal or compliance responsibilities, nor is it binding on the Commission or the public.