The end of “click to subscribe, call to cancel”? One of the news industry’s favorite retention tactics is illegal, FTC says » Nieman Journalism Lab

This is such a common practice in many industries and it is good to see the FTC making noise about this.

The Federal Trade Commission, meanwhile, recently made it clear that it sees the practice as 1) one of several “dark patterns that trick or trap consumers into subscriptions” and 2) straight-up illegal. The FTC vowed to ramp up enforcement on companies that fail to provide an “easy and simple” cancellation process, including an option that’s “at least as easy” as the one to subscribe.

Many publications are like a Vegas casino — super easy to get in but it’s impossible to find the exit. When you do give in and call to cancel you are run through a gauntlet that can be very frustrating.

Curiously, I wonder if this might draw some people to subscribe. I know that I have not tried subscribing to some things because I assume it will be too difficult to cancel if I want to. Making it easier to cancel, could mean more people try it out.