It is an error. "Lie" implies that the false statement was made deliberately, and we have no evidence to suggest that.
Sometimes news stories contain inaccuracies. It happens. Then corrections are issued.
Sometimes news stories contain inaccuracies. It happens. Then corrections are issued.
EDIT: I chose "lie" because to make such an obviously false statement accidentally would be a huge mistake for such a trusted organization as BBC; therefore I judged it far more likely to be a deliberate deception. Obviously there's room for interpretation. We'll see if it's ever "corrected".
That is a very optimistic view of news gathering. The BBC makes mistakes all the time. So do all other news organisations.
This error could be a deliberate lie, but to what end? What does the BBC gain by incorrectly describing American consumer protection as existing when they are actually only proposed? I know we live in era of conspiracy theory but I'm struggling to see this one.