financetom
Business
financetom
/
Business
/
FTC hits pause on 'click to cancel' rule
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
FTC hits pause on 'click to cancel' rule
May 26, 2025 5:30 AM

(Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is delaying implementation of a rule set to take effect next week that would require businesses to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and memberships as it is to sign up, to give companies more time to comply, the agency said on Friday.

The rule that has drawn cheers from consumer groups and a lawsuit from business associations was set to take effect on May 14. The FTC will now begin enforcing it on July 14, according to the announcement. The FTC created the rule under former Democratic Chair Lina Khan, but has since defended it from a lawsuit claiming the agency exceeded its authority.

The move shows how the FTC under Donald Trump is seeking to balance the concerns of U.S. consumers, who elected the Republican president on promises of addressing the high cost of living, with complaints from the business community that the agency took too hard a line under Khan.

The rule is based on dozens of enforcement actions and tens of thousands of consumer complaints, the FTC has said.

The rule requires retailers, gyms and other businesses to get consumers' consent for subscriptions, auto-renewals and free trials that convert to paid memberships. The cancellation method must be "at least as easy to use" as the sign up process, it says.

The rule also prohibits requiring consumers who signed up through an app or a website to go through a chatbot or agent to cancel. For in-person sign-ups, companies must provide means to cancel by phone or online.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade group representing major cable and internet providers such as Charter Communications ( CHTR ), Comcast Corp ( CMCSA ), and Cox Communications, and media companies like Disney Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery ( WBD ) are among those suing to block the rule.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Rouble Hardly Moved When Russia's Central Bank Cut Rates by 200bps, Notes Commerzbank
Rouble Hardly Moved When Russia's Central Bank Cut Rates by 200bps, Notes Commerzbank
Jul 28, 2025
09:18 AM EDT, 07/28/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The Russian central bank (CBR) cut its policy rate by 200bps to 18.0% last Friday, matching market expectations, said Commerzbank. This move followed recent disinflationary developments where the seasonally-adjusted annualized inflation rate already reached CBR's 4% target. However, despite softening inflation, CBR maintained a neutral tone and flagged persistent pro-inflation risks on account...
ASP Isotopes Invests $5 Million in Radiotherapeutic Development Firm IsoBio
ASP Isotopes Invests $5 Million in Radiotherapeutic Development Firm IsoBio
Jul 28, 2025
09:17 AM EDT, 07/28/2025 (MT Newswires) -- ASP Isotopes ( ASPI ) has completed an initial series seed financing round that raised $5 million for US-based radiotherapeutic development company IsoBio, according to a statement Monday. IsoBio intends to use the $5 million raised from ASP Isotopes ( ASPI ) to develop antibody-isotope conjugates that target difficult to treat tumors, ASP...
Jul 28, 2025
...
Google agrees $36 million fine for anti-competitive deals with Australia telcos
Google agrees $36 million fine for anti-competitive deals with Australia telcos
Aug 17, 2025
SYDNEY, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Google agreed on Monday to pay a A$55 million ($35.8 million) fine in Australia after the consumer watchdog found it had hurt competition by paying the country's two largest telcos to pre-install its search application on Android phones, excluding rival search engines. The fine extends a bumpy period for the Alphabet-owned internet giant in Australia,...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved