FTC sues Amazon for 'non-consensual' Prime subscriptions

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced it has filed a lawsuit against Amazon for allegedly enrolling customers into its Prime program without their knowledge while making it difficult for them to cancel their Prime subscriptions. 

"Amazon tricked and trapped people into recurring subscriptions without their consent, not only frustrating users but also costing them significant money," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. "These manipulative tactics harm consumers and law-abiding businesses alike."

The FTC alleged that Amazon "knowingly duped millions of consumers" into enrolling for Prime without their consent. The federal agency also said Amazon used so-called "dark patterns" that caused the consumers to enroll in the program.

Amazon charges $14.99 per month or $139 per year for their standard prime membership, which includes quicker shipping and a video streaming service. 

NetChoice, a tech lobbying group that Amazon is a member of, called the lawsuit "absurd." 

NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel Carl Szabo said: "The complaint is that Amazon encourages people to use Amazon Prime – this is like going after Kroger for promoting its rewards program or Costco for its membership club. It is abundantly clear that the FTC is a runaway agency in need of greater oversight."

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.