Specifically, Amazon used manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user-interface designs known as “dark patterns” to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically-renewing Prime subscriptions." It's not the only FTC lawsuit against Amazon from that era as a major antitrust suit is in the works and set to go on trial in 2027. That included "deceptive" language that tricks customers into signing up for Amazon Prime. A study from 2024 found that so-called "dark patterns" are a common tactic to manipulate users. That study found that in a review of nearly 650 websites and apps with subscriptions, 76% were using dark patterns to retain subscribers.