What is the main role of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) primarily serves to protect consumers and promote competition by curbing false advertising and deceptive business practices. This involves ensuring that businesses provide truthful information about their products and services, which helps maintain a fair marketplace. By investigating complaints and enforcing regulations against misleading marketing tactics, the FTC aims to prevent harm to consumers and promote trust in the marketplace.

This role is critical in an economy where consumers must make informed decisions; accurate information is essential to their ability to compare products and services. The FTC's efforts in this area help level the playing field for businesses, ensuring that competition is based on honest practices rather than deception or false claims, thus fostering a healthy economic environment.

The other options relate to different regulatory agencies or aspects of government oversight, reflecting specific areas such as workplace safety, financial market regulations, and telecommunications, which are not under the FTC's jurisdiction.