Since 1976, oversight of ECT machines is supposedly done by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Because ECT machines were already in use, the FDA allowed them to stay on the market.

In 1979, however, the FDA classified the ECT machine as a “Class III device,” meaning it is high-risk and must be safety tested. The agency gave manufacturers three years to prove them safe.

This has never been done.

In fact, nearly four decades later, the FDA rejected its own panel’s recommendations and broadened the use of the ECT machine, making it eligible for use on more people than ever.