The FTC’s complaint, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleged that Amazon has duped millions of consumers into enrolling in Amazon Prime, a subscription service costing $139 annually.
“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 in a statement.
The complaint, which is partially redacted, seeks monetary civil penalties without providing a dollar amount.
The FTC’s complaint alleged that Amazon used “manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user interface designs known as dark patterns” to dupe users into automatically renewing Prime subscriptions.
“Amazon leadership slowed or rejected changes that would’ve made it easier for users to cancel Prime because those changes adversely affected Amazon’s bottom line,” the FTC added.
Amazon representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amazon Prime gives members access to free two-day shipping, plus extra privileges like music and video streaming. Amazon has said it has more than 200 million paid Prime members worldwide.
The free and fast shipping benefit has been a bedrock of Prime’s growth and enabled the company to invest in other services.
Airbus (AIR.PA) has filled more than half of the 13,000 positions it expects to create in 2023, as aerospace manufacturers try to boost staff numbers to meet soaring demand, the European planemaker said on Wednesday.
Planemakers and aerospace suppliers are wrestling with shortages of workers, from engineers to machine shop operators, which is holding back plans to ramp up aircraft production needed to meet soaring travel demand.
Airbus said it had filled more than 7,000 positions so far.
The hires put the company on track to fill the remaining positions this year, which will support increased plane production and other goals, Thierry Baril, Airbus's chief human resources officer, said at the Paris Airshow.
The company’s commercial aircraft division has reached 60% of its recruitment target.
Of the 7,000-plus hires, 29% are aged 28 or below, a trend that Baril expects will continue through year’s end, he told Reuters in an interview.
“It’s remarkable because when you have close to one-third of your resources joining the company which is representing the future you can think about the future differently,” he said.