FTC Trial Against Amazon Over Prime 'Dark Patterns' Begins

Jury selection begins Monday in Seattle for a federal trial in which the FTC accuses Amazon of using manipulative “dark patterns” to enroll millions in Prime without clear consent and then making cancellation unusually difficult. The FTC alleges Amazon obscured price and automatic-renewal disclosures at checkout, collected billing information before fully disclosing subscription terms in violation of the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA), and maintained a multi-step cancellation flow nicknamed “Iliad” that may have affected as many as 40 million users. Prime's scale—analysts estimate roughly 197–200 million U.S. members and Amazon reported more than $12 billion in subscription net revenue in a recent quarter—makes potential damages commercially significant. Amazon denies wrongdoing, saying it clearly explains Prime's terms, provides multiple cancellation methods, and that its executives acted properly. Judge John Chun has allowed the FTC to pursue potential personal liability for senior executives and rebuked Amazon for improperly withholding documents in pretrial rulings. If the jury sides with the FTC the company could face civil penalties, customer refunds and court orders restricting certain subscription “retention” tactics, a result that could reshape regulatory enforcement of digital subscriptions.