Deceptive Dark Patterns / Subscription Trap Consumer Fraud Litigation (Amazon Prime)

In June 2023, the Federal Trade Commission filed a landmark lawsuit against Amazon in the Western District of Washington, alleging that the company enrolled millions of consumers in its Amazon Prime subscription service without their informed consent through the use of so-called 'dark patterns' — deceptive user-interface design tricks that obscure costs, pre-check enrollment boxes, and bury cancellation options. The FTC alleged that Amazon knowingly complicated the cancellation process through a convoluted multi-page flow it internally nicknamed 'Iliad' — a reference to the famously long Greek epic — making it intentionally difficult for subscribers to exit the service. Amazon allegedly continued these practices for years despite internal awareness that vast numbers of consumers were being enrolled without meaningful consent.

Parallel private class action complaints were filed by consumers seeking to represent a nationwide class of Prime subscribers who were charged without authorization or who faced unlawful barriers to cancellation. The cases allege violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA), and state consumer protection statutes. The litigation is significant as one of the most high-profile legal attacks on dark-pattern subscription practices and is being closely watched by regulators and the broader tech industry. Amazon has denied wrongdoing and moved to dismiss portions of the FTC complaint; the litigation remains in active pretrial proceedings as of 2025.