Efforts to protect the rights of consumers are the basis of consumer advocacy, also called consumerism. Consumer advocacy has a long history in the United States. Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle (1906), describing deplorable worker-safety and unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry led “muckrakers” to challenge business practices. During the 1960s, Ralph Nader’s book Unsafe at Any Speed (1965) challenged design practices in the U.S. automobile industry, particularly the design of General Motors’ Corvair. Consumer advocacy is often not welcomed by industry. General Motors unsuccessfully used detectives to find information that would undermine Ralph Nader’s claims. Major U.S. consumer advocacy groups and agencies include the CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION (CPSC), the Office of Consumer Affairs, the Consumer Federation of America, and CONSUMERS UNION. As stated on its website, the CPSC is a federal agency created in 1972 to “protect the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer PRODUCTs.” The CPSC’s most visible consumer-advocacy effort is its quarterly publication highlighting unsafe toys for children. The Office of Consumer Affairs addresses consumer complaints and provides consumer information services. Most states also have consumer-affairs offices. The Consumer Federation of America, which includes over 260 organizations throughout the country, represents consumer interests in dialogues with policy makers and provides educational resources for consumers. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is a highly respected source of independent information for consumers. Unlike many industry magazines which derive their revenue from business advertisements, Consumer Reports is funded only by member contributions and grants. Consumers Union is well known for its independent testing of automobiles and other products. Positive and negative ratings by Consumers Union are closely watched by both consumers and businesses. In addition to consumer education and publicity, consumer advocacy can include BOYCOTTS and CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS. In the 1960s and 1970s, the UNITED FARM WORKERS, under the leadership of Cesar Chavez, gained support for farmworkers’ unionizing efforts through boycotts. More recently, boycotts of tobacco-company products have been used by consumer advocates to influence business practices. Class-action lawsuits are increasingly used to challenge business safety and responsibility issues. The BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB) is a businesssponsored organization providing services to consumers. The BBB attempts to resolve consumers’ complaints against businesses and maintains files documenting such complaints.