Last week, the Federal Trade Commission decided to tackle one of the minor nightmares of modern life: unsubscribing from things. You know what we’re talking about—that seemingly insurmountable chore of trying to stop paying for something you’re no longer using. Maybe it was that “free trial” you signed up for back in 2019 to watch half a season of a show, or some auto-renewing membership you forgot about the moment you pressed “okay.” Well, the FTC’s new “click to cancel” rule is designed to make unsubscribing just as simple as signing up, with no automated chat labyrinths or passive-aggressive exit interviews required. Sounds reasonable, right?
Not if you ask some of the biggest names in entertainment and telecommunications. Enter the Internet & Television Association, aka the NCTA, which represents industry heavyweights like Comcast, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Charter Communications. They’re not thrilled about this newfound simplicity in subscription freedom and have officially filed a lawsuit against the FTC, arguing that this is just good old-fashioned government overreach, Reuters reports.
The FTC’s new rule basically boils down to a couple of straightforward demands: when consumers sign up for subscriptions, auto-renewals, or “free trials” that eventually morph into paid memberships, they should be fully aware of what they’re getting into. Oh, and canceling should be as easy as clicking a button—not an arduous maze of phone menus or the emotional equivalent of breaking up with a clingy ex. It’s the kind of policy that makes most people go, “Finally!” Naturally, though, this has stirred resistance from within the industries that profit off making you forget you’re paying them.
The NCTA, an industry group that’s made up of cable giants and major media companies, was pretty quick to take this to court. They chose the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, a popular venue for corporations looking to challenge government regulations—no surprise, given the majority of Republican-appointed judges on the bench. The lawsuit essentially frames the FTC’s click-to-cancel measure as an onerous burden on business and a threat to the free market’s sacred right to profit from inconvenience.
According to Reuters, this legal volley is just one of several moves from trade groups trying to preserve the complexity of canceling services. They’re painting the multistep cancellation process as a “protective” feature—a way to “help” consumers, supposedly by offering them better deals while they’re attempting to bail. Because nothing says “consumer protection” like a desperate attempt to keep you hooked when you just want out. Other industry bodies, representing advertisers, news publishers, and retailers, are jumping in on the action, arguing that the FTC’s new rule is simply too burdensome.
But come on, who are we kidding here? We’ve all been there, battling our way through the mire of customer service reps, chatbots that don’t listen, and phone calls that mysteriously drop right before the final “cancel” confirmation. If the FTC’s latest rule can cut down on even a fraction of that pain, it’s hard to see this as anything other than a long-overdue win for everyone who’s ever looked at their bank statement and wondered, “Wait, what’s that charge again?”
Meanwhile, we’re left to wonder whether the courts will side with the everyday consumer or continue to uphold the sacred right of corporations to make your life just that little bit harder. The ball is in the 5th Circuit’s court—literally.
