Amazon Faces Trial Over FTC Lawsuit on Prime ‘Dark Patterns’

Amazon has gone to trial in the US over allegations that it used “dark patterns” to trick millions of users into signing up for Prime memberships and made cancellation deliberately difficult.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed the lawsuit in June 2023, accusing Amazon of manipulating customers through deceptive checkout designs and a complex cancellation process.

The FTC alleges Amazon steered users toward Prime sign-ups with prominent buttons, while burying decline options, pricing, and auto-renewal details in fine print, making cancellation a ‘labyrinthine’ process.

The case will be heard in federal court in Seattle by Judge John Chun, who is also overseeing a separate FTC lawsuit accusing Amazon of operating an illegal monopoly, set for trial in 2027.

Amazon, however, has pushed back, arguing that the FTC is overreaching and that it has since improved its enrollment and cancellation systems, making the allegations outdated.

The jury trial is expected to last four weeks, relying on internal communications, Amazon executives, and expert witnesses. If the FTC prevails, Amazon could face heavy fines and be forced to revamp its subscription practices.