Consumer Safety Technology Act

The Consumer Safety Technology Act would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a pilot program exploring how artificial intelligence can support its mission. Specifically, the CPSC would use AI to track injury trends involving consumer products, identify product hazards, monitor the sale of recalled products, and identify products that do not meet importation safety requirements. The agency would report its findings to Congress within one year after the pilot program concludes.

The bill would also require the Department of Commerce to conduct a study on how blockchain technology could be used for consumer protection purposes, including preventing fraud and deceptive practices. This study would examine current and emerging uses of blockchain, trends in commercial investment, best practices for public-private partnerships, and potential legal changes to encourage blockchain adoption for consumer protection. The Commerce Department would report its findings to Congress within six months of completing the study.

Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission would be required to report on its efforts to prevent unfair or deceptive practices related to digital tokens, which are digital representations of value recorded on blockchain or similar technology. The FTC would also provide recommendations for legislation to improve federal agencies' ability to protect consumers in the digital token marketplace.