THE WHAT? The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against Amazon alleging that the e-commerce behemoth has tricked ‘millions’ of shoppers into signing up for a Prime membership and, once enrolled, obstructed attempts to cancel, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

THE DETAILS The tactics Amazon used to sign consumers up to its US$139 annual subscription service, which grants members access to faster delivery, among other privileges, has been the subject of an investigation commenced in March, 2021.

A spokesperson for Amazon has rubbished the claims. “By design we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership. We look forward to proving our case in court.”

THE WHY? The FTC is tasked with consumer protection and the complaint charges Amazon with using ‘manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user interface designs known as dark patterns’ that conned users into renewing their subscriptions, the WSJ reports. Changes that would have simplified the cancellation process were delayed or rejected, the suit adds.