The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), under President Donald Trump, announced on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, that it plans to cancel a proposed rule requiring American table saw manufacturers to install a patented finger-detection safety system.
The measure is part of a larger push to roll back more than 170 federal regulations viewed as barriers to competition.
Background on the Proposal
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) first introduced the rule in 2023 to reduce table saw injuries, projecting it could prevent around 49,000 incidents each year.
However, critics warned the mandate would add hundreds of dollars to the price of each saw.
Bipartisan Opposition
Lawmakers from both parties opposed the plan in 2024, saying it would give one company a monopoly over the safety technology and limit consumer choice.
Broader Deregulation Effort
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said the government’s role is to protect consumers from monopolies and price gouging, not to create them.
Trump’s April 2025 executive order instructed the FTC and the Justice Department’s antitrust division to review rules that might stifle competition.
Other Rules Under Review
The FTC also wants to end a Department of Transportation rule favoring women- and minority-owned airport concessions and criticized automatic textbook billing at colleges. A full list of targeted regulations is expected soon.
