Amazon has agreed to pay $2.5 billion (€2.1 billion) to settle a case brought by the US Federal Trade Commission, in a deal that includes the largest civil penalty ever issued for a violation of the regulator’s rules.
The ecommerce giant on Thursday agreed to pay $1 billion in civil penalties and $1.5 billion in redress to consumers, according to senior FTC officials.
The FTC alleged that the company had duped customers into signing up for its Prime service without their consent, in breach of US consumer protection laws.
The agency also alleged that Amazon was also “sabotaging” efforts made by customers to cancel their subscriptions.
READ MORE
“[Amazon] can no longer deceive consumers to sign up,” said one FTC official. “[This] settlement puts a stop to [Amazon’s] unlawful enrolment practices.”
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
More to follow
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
