Monopoly threat

The International Day for Protecting Consumers' Rights is an occasion for shining the spotlight on shoddy commodities and black-hearted businesses whose stock in trade is deception.

That is as true today as ever, as the media unveils sensational new lists of misdeeds. No matter how the annual theme changes, the occasion would not be complete without warnings about individual goods and acts that have threatened consumer wellbeing.

But it is important that everyone knows that shady factories and merchants are not the only forces throwing us consumers into harm's way. And the harm inflicted is not limited to the physical and visible.