Amazon’s Trial by Jury: Were Prime Customers Knowingly Misled?

A jury in Seattle is now tasked with determining whether Amazon knowingly misled its customers into signing up for and staying in its Prime subscription service. A high-profile trial has begun where the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is leveling serious allegations of deception against the e-commerce giant.
The core of the government’s case is that Amazon used “dark patterns” to trick users. The FTC alleges that the company’s checkout process was intentionally designed to be confusing, leading to a high number of accidental Prime enrollments. The complaint states Amazon was aware of this but chose not to fix it due to the revenue it generated.
The lawsuit also highlights the “Iliad” cancellation process, which the FTC is presenting as an intentionally obstructive system. The government argues that the complexity of this multi-step process was a calculated strategy to reduce subscriber churn by frustrating users into submission.
This trial is a key part of a broader, bipartisan campaign to hold major technology companies accountable for their market power and consumer practices. The Seattle trial is one of several legal challenges Amazon is currently facing from federal regulators.
In its defense, Amazon is arguing that the FTC’s allegations are a mischaracterization of its customer-focused business practices. The company maintains that the benefits of Prime are always clearly stated and that it has continuously worked to improve the user experience. The four-week trial will rely heavily on internal Amazon emails and documents.