Consumers Council sues Amazon for breach of Marketing Act – E24

– It should be as easy to finish as subscribing to a subscription, says Inger Lise Blyverket, director of the Consumer Council, in a press release.

Amazon is now being sued by the Norwegian Consumer Agency for unfair business practices and for violating the Marketing Act.

– Players like Amazon do everything in their power to keep users paying. This not only violates user expectations, but is also contrary to Norwegian and European law in our opinion, says consumer director Blyverket.

In a review published by the Consumer Council, the agency shows that Amazon uses manipulative design and confusing information when a user tries to unsubscribe.

Amazon is manipulative and confusing

The Consumer Council believes that there is evidence that Amazon is forcing you to go through a series of pages where you have to repeatedly confirm that you want to quit, Amazon confuses and hides the options using layout and text, and Amazon threatens and attracts everyone. the profits you lose. while asking if he really knows what he’s doing.

The conclusion of the Consumer Council is that Amazon uses “dark patterns”, user designs designed to lead consumers to choices that are of interest to the service provider.

16 consumer organizations from Europe and the US are also taking action against Amazon based on the Consumer Council report, according to the Consumer Council itself.

– If the Norwegian Consumer Agency agrees with us on this matter, companies may have to make it easier for users to make the decisions they want, in addition to canceling a subscription, says Blyverket.

An earlier report and a 2018 Consumer Council complaint led eight consumer organizations to complain to Google about how Android users are being manipulated for continuous tracking through sneaky design, misleading information, and repeated harassment. The complaint is being processed today by the Irish Data Inspectorate.