Amazon, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a prime case against $ 2.5 billion decided to close. It was claimed that the company made millions of customers members of Prime in misleading methods and made the cancellation process unnecessarily difficult. FTC’s case has been on the agenda for a long time and the hearings that started in Seattle ended with the agreement. This development once again showed that the e-commerce giant is at the center of criticism for the user experience.
According to FTC’s statement, Amazon will not only pay a fine, but also to pay a total of $ 1.5 billion to approximately 35 million customers. In addition, the company will have to cover a direct fine of $ 1 billion. However, this agreement is not only limited to material compensation. FTC also prohibits Amazon from using misleading designs in subscription processes. These conditions seem to lead to radical changes in Amazon’s functioning.
FTC required to edit on Amazon Prime Registration screens
FTC announced that Amazon’s statements that guide users on Prime registration screens can no longer use. The buttons that weaken the option to refuse, such as orum I don’t want free shipping, will be replaced by clear statements such as orum I don’t want to join the Prime ”. In addition, the subscription cancellation process will be made as easy as the registration process. So the user will follow the same number and the same simplicity when he cancels. This arrangement aims to ensure that users take control again.
During the case, FTC emphasized that Amazon has used manipulative interface designs called “Dark Patterns .. With these methods, customers were directed to membership, while the cancellation phase was consciously complex. In addition to all these, the Commission claimed that Amazon’s senior executives knew and approved these practices. FTC President Andrew Ferguson said that the evidence obtained has shown that users are systematically manipulated. These statements clearly show how harsh attitude of the regulatory institution.
Amazon showed a different approach in his official statement. The company stated that it always offers transparent processes and customers can follow clear steps in both registration and cancellation stages. Despite this, the agreement is important in terms of thinking ahead, he said. According to the managers, the company will focus more easily on customer -oriented innovations after this process is closed. These statements are considered as Amazon’s efforts to refresh confidence in the public opinion.
The agreement with FTC is not the only case against Amazon. The institution continues to continue the Antitröst case against the company. In this case, sellers are claimed to be punished if they offer lower prices on platforms other than Amazon. The case, which is planned to be seen in 2027, seems to cause long-term discussions in the e-commerce world. On the other hand, there is a possibility that this process will directly influence Amazon’s global operations.
According to law experts, this result in the prime case may directly affect the course of similar cases in the future. The use of manipulative designs in the user experience of companies will now be inspected. This concerns not only the Amazon, but all giants working with a subscription model such as Netflix, Spotify and Apple. In addition, it is inevitable for users to find faster and more understandable ways in cancellation processes. The FTC’s approach paves the way for the formation of new standards in favor of the consumer.
In addition to all these, the financial dimension of the agreement also draws attention. The $ 2.5 billion obligation is a figure that will not be underestimated even for a giant company like Amazon. Moreover, most of this amount will be paid directly to users. This is a critical step in terms of re -establishing consumer trust. But at the same time, the company will have an impact on the operational budget.