Today marks the 50th anniversary of a watershed moment in the consumer movement -- the recognition by a president that consumers deserved their own set of rights.
On March 15, 1962, President John F. Kennedy called for a set of four basic rights for every consumer:
•The right to safety,•The right to be informed,•The right to choose,•And the right to be heard.
Basically, President Kennedy said, you should have the right to buy safe products, and the right to get the facts you need to make informed choices. He said, you ought to have a fair number of choices at a fair price, and the government needs to listen and respond to what consumers have to say.
It inspired a new generation of leaders to fight for greater protections in the areas of food, finances, auto, and product safety -- protections that we all enjoy today.
President Kennedy's declaration also inspired the mission of the global organization known as Consumers International. For many years Consumers International has celebrated this day -- March 15 -- as World Consumer Rights Day.
Groups like Consumers International and Consumer Reports put those four, basic consumer rights front and center. These rights, along with four additional rights that have since been added, help set a foundation for our missions.
The four additional rights are the right to consumer education, the right to redress, the right to a healthy environment, and the right to the satisfaction of basic needs, like adequate food, shelter, and health care.
But these rights are far from the end of our work.
In particular, there is a consumer issue that deserves everyone's attention, and that issue is privacy. Your private information is being shared and sold and exploited in ways that few could have dreamed of fifty years ago.
Who could have predicted that we'd have a tool like the Internet that provides so much opportunity, but at the same time, exposes each and every one of us to having our most personal information put at risk?
Fundamentally, when I talk about consumer privacy, I'm talking about trust. When you hand over your private information to an online company, you're trusting that your information will be treated fairly and responsibly.
Last month, the White House announced a privacy plan to bring industry and consumer groups together to figure out some rules of the road. And there's the World Wide Web Consortium -- an international convening that's developing standards to limit online tracking.
All of this is very important, and we continue to advocate for a law that guarantees you will have more control over how your information is tracked and manipulated. All of us need to come together to find real solutions on privacy that work.
Being a consumer advocate isn't easy. Most days, it feels like David versus Goliath. There are a lot of powerful interests trying to tilt the scales against consumers. But there is one important asset that they don't have and we do. That asset is people power. I firmly believe that people power, in the end, will come out on top.
Fifty years to the day after the President of the United States called for consumer rights, our job is to fight to preserve these achievements and protect our hard-earned rights. Fighting the good fight together, we can succeed, and we will succeed.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.