About Us

The National Consumer Research Alliance (NCRA) is 501c4 policy, research and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. Since its founding in 2008, the NCRA has served as a vocal advocate for public policies that protect the American consumer.

NCRA gives voice to the rights of American workers and consumers. We specifically advocate for policies that promote a pro-consumer, pro-economic climate in the states, and are interested in exploring the impact of state and federal policy on the rights of consumers.

Through research, policy analysis and good old-fashioned organizing, NCRA works with allies across the ideological spectrum to propose and advocate for fairness and equality for hardworking Americans.

Our Priorities

Privacy Concerns

Competition in the

Credit Marketplace

Whether it’s financial documents and medical records or contacts, emails and texts, Americans are more and more worried about how they’ll protect their most sensitive information from cyber criminals - a fear that only grows with repeated news reports of data breaches.

And American businesses are working to offer their customers better protections and more security - developing technologies like encryption to ensure only the owner or intended recipient of data - like a text - will see it.

NRCA believes that consumers should feel comfortable using encryption technologies knowing when they send, receive or store information only they and the intended recipient can access the data. And NRCA opposes foolish attempts by law enforcement to pressure American companies into mandating “back door” technologies - policies that would put a giant bullseye on our smartphones for hackers and identity thieves.

Digital Divide

For millions of rural and low-income Americans, fast and reliable internet services are either too expensive or simply not available. As internet access becomes essential for modern life, this gaping digital divide means that many of our communities are getting left behind.

In order to finally close this divide, we must take advantage of all possible solutions. We need to support policies that enable development of broadband infrastructure in underserved areas, while encouraging technological innovation and competition in the private sector.

NCRA believes that all Americans, regardless of where they live or how much money they make, should have access to affordable high-speed broadband and 5G services.

NCRA supports increasing competition in the credit card network marketplace. The current duopoly is a bad deal for consumers and merchants. For that reason, we support the Capital One - Discover merger.

Product Safety

From cars to toys to tomatoes, product recalls have dominated the news in recent years. Too often the story behind those recalls involves an outdated law, an agency unfunded or a government employee that came through the revolving door that leads to the very industries they are meant to oversee.

NCRA believes consumer protection should be the highest mission of state and federal product safety laws and agencies. We support efforts to give real “teeth” to strengthen the consumer aspects of our nation’s food, financial and product safety laws.

Our goal is to work with other advocates, elected officials and stakeholders to ensure that consumer protection becomes a priority in state and national policy debates