Author, not the first, trapped by agency standards (8)

I believe the answer is:

criteria

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'standards' is the definition.
(I know this)

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

(Other definitions for criteria that I've seen before include "Standards on which to base judgments" , "Erratic, I embrace standards" , "'Standards, reference points (8)'" , "Standards on which to base judgement" , "Principles on which to base a judgement" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.