Background: Why the FTC Filed the Lawsuit Against Amazon

Amazon Prime is one of the most successful membership programs in the world, offering fast shipping, entertainment services, discounts, and other benefits for a monthly or annual fee. But the FTC alleges that millions of users were enrolled unintentionally or through misleading interface design tactics, often referred to as “dark patterns”—design choices intended to steer users toward actions they wouldn’t normally take.

According to the complaint filed in 2023, Amazon created multiple enrollment flows that obscured the fact that customers were signing up for Amazon Prime, and that their membership would automatically renew until proactively canceled. The FTC argues that the confusing design caused many customers to be charged for months or years without realizing they were paying for a subscription.