Information Technology Standards as a Form of Consumer Protection Law

Jane K. Winn, University of Washington

9/12/2008
(Original Publish Date: 11/1/2004)

Technical standards are one of the foundations of the modern consumer movement, as well as one of the earliest forms of consumer protection. From antiquity to the present, sovereigns have regarded the regulation of weights and measures used in their markets as a fundamental manifestation of their authority. Sovereigns have also regularly established standards for the quality of products to prevent contaminated or spoiled goods from being distributed. Protections of this type antedate the modern standards movement, which expanded their scope and impact.