Seattle: Amazon goes to trial Monday in a landmark FTC lawsuit accusing the e-commerce giant of tricking millions of customers into its $139-per-year Prime subscription and making cancellation unnecessarily difficult.
The FTC alleges Amazon used “dark patterns” to push sign-ups during checkout, hiding key terms like automatic renewal in fine print, while forcing cancellations through a four-page, six-click process nicknamed “Iliad.” Court filings claim the company resisted simplifying the process to protect revenue.
The case is being heard under the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), which requires clear disclosure, express consent, and simple cancellation for online services. The FTC says Amazon violated these rules, while Amazon contends its practices do not breach the law and that improvements have already been made.
Judge John Chun, who will oversee the four-week jury trial, is also presiding over a separate FTC monopoly case against Amazon scheduled for 2027. The trial is part of a broader bipartisan effort to rein in Big Tech after years of regulatory inaction.
Prime is central to Amazon’s business, with subscribers spending significantly more than non-members. If the FTC prevails, Amazon could face heavy fines, permanent injunctions, and court-supervised reforms to its subscription practices.
