On Your Side: CPSC: The Agency that protects you from dangerous products is broken

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - The Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, oversees about 15,000 product categories from bassinets to table saws. But the CPSC has changed in the past year and a half.

Consumer Reports’ investigation has found that the CPSC has become smaller, slower, and less open to the public. And this is even as dangerous products continue to flood the marketplace.

The agency’s full-time staff has shrunk from 546 in 2024 to an estimated 459 this year. The consumer ombudsman position—a direct line for families hurt by products—was eliminated. And long-awaited safety rules, for things like portable generators and table saws, have either stalled or been withdrawn.

“At a time when we’re all shopping online, there are knockoffs everywhere, there are subpar products, there’s cheap stuff always flooding the marketplace. This is a time when we need a strong Consumer Product Safety Commission more than ever,” said Gabe Knight, safety policy advocate with Consumer Reports.

CPSC spokesperson Steve Roney sent this statement in response to the investigation:

“Our remit from Congress is to protect American consumers from reasonable risks of harm from products, and by every objective metric the Commission has enjoyed the most successful and effective two years in its history. We’ve issued more product recalls, more public safety warnings, and more product takedown notices than in any other one- or two-year period, and we have a renewed focus on interdiction at ports of entry. Critics who say we’re not living up to the intent of our mission are measuring the wrong things.”

Despite all these concerns, the CPSC is still the best place to go if you or your family have a problem with a product.

“If you notice a safety hazard with something you own, report it at SaferProducts.gov. And be wary of third-party marketplaces—shop using trusted vendors,” said Lauren Kirchner with Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports and other safety advocates say a strong CPSC shouldn’t only respond with product recalls after injuries or deaths. It should proactively make the market safer through education and strong regulations.

Be wary of third-party marketplaces—shop using trusted vendors.

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