FTC stops important services amid government shut down: Why it matters
The FTC , a federal agency tasked with protecting consumers against fraud, deception and unfair business practices , has stopped a majority of its services amid a government shut down .
As of midnight, October. 1, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission closed, citing "the lapse in government funding," as the cause.
Citizens will no longer be served while reporting fraud, identity theft, international business complains, order educational materials offered through Bulkorder.ftc.gov or register on the national do not call registry until further notice.
The FTC's shut down matters because it halts important consumer protection operations.
While out of service, critical tasks it would usually handle such as privacy lawsuits are put on hold as most Bureau of Consumer Protection employees, which are overseen by the FTC, are on furlough.
"All FTC events are postponed until future notice," the agency announced.
"Some online services are available, and some are not."
Because the FTC's primary mission is protect consumers, the shutdown leaves people vulnerable to scams, fraud and antitrust violations as there are no agents or agencies actively able to enforce safeguards.
While consumers can still submit documents, the FTC will not take any action on handling them until the government reopens.
Likewise, citizens cannot be granted Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests from the agency.
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