Founded in 1936 as Consumer Union, CR was created to serve as a information source that consumers could use to help assess product performance and safety. Since that time, CR has continued its testing and analysis of products and services, and advocate for the consumer in legislative and rule-making areas. Consumer Reports helped advocate for seat belt laws, the dangers of cigarettes, and recently, the growth of consumer finance protection and the growth of consumer access to better health care. The organization has also expanded its scope to a set of digital platforms.