A federal appeals court just vacated the FTC’s controversial Click-to-Cancel rule on procedural grounds – but businesses shouldn’t drop their guard just yet. Many states already have their own automatic renewal laws on the...more
On July 1, California's amended autorenewal law takes effect, and the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) updated enforcement deadline for the primary requirements of the updated Negative Option Rule (so-called Click to Cancel...more
Take a quick breath—but just a short one—because late Friday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) decided (3-0) to push the compliance date of its Negative Option (or "Click to Cancel") Rule, a regulation designed to make...more
Companies with B2C or B2B recurring payment programs that include negative option terms should review their disclosure, consent, and cancellation practices to ensure compliance with the rule....more
Key Takeaways - - Beginning May 14, businesses offering "negative option features" can incur significant financial penalties for each violation of the FTC’s “click-to-cancel” rule. - The rule imposes obligations related to...more
A May 14, 2025 deadline is rapidly approaching for companies to comply with several of the most significant changes to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) amended negative option rule, often called the “click-to-cancel”...more
In January 2025, prior to President Donald Trump's inauguration, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized its Click to Cancel Rule (Rule). This regulation requires additional disclosures, consents and simple cancellation...more
The Federal Trade Commission’s final “click-to-cancel” rule, which goes into effect on May 14, 2025, attempts to address the difficulties consumers may face when trying to cancel an automatically renewing subscription. The...more
Ending speculation and uncertainty about whether new leadership at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would repeal or continue to defend the agency’s Negative Option Rule, which regulates offerings such as autorenewal of...more
Venable's AdLaw Symposium is back! Please join us in our Washington, DC, headquarters for this highly anticipated event focused on providing you with the information you need to promote your brand with confidence....more
It’s time to revisit automatic renewal compliance. With California amending its Automatic Renewal Law ("ARL") on September 24, 2024, and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) finalizing its “Click-to-Cancel” Rule (“FTC Final...more
On December 20, 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a Petition in state court alleging Sirius XM Radio’s autorenewal practices violated New York’s autorenewal law. In the lawsuit, New York alleges that Sirius...more
On December 13, 2023, New York Governor Hochul signed two laws, which aim to protect consumers from (1) unwanted subscriptions by requiring notice to consumers for upcoming automatic renewals with clear instructions for...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged that Amazon used digital marketing tactics known as “dark patterns” to trick millions of customers into unknowingly enrolling in Amazon Prime auto-renewing subscriptions, while...more
OnlyFans Users Sue Over Iffy Auto-Renewal Subscriptions - OnlyFans is a subscription-based site that touts itself as being the place for content creators to monetize their content and connect creators with fans. But all...more
On January 19, the CFPB issued Circular 2023-01 to affirm that companies offering “negative option” subscription services are required to comply with federal consumer financial protection laws. According to the Circular,...more
On September 16, Venable’s Advertising and Marketing Group hosted its 9th Annual Advertising Law Symposium in Washington, DC. After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, attendees were energized to convene in...more
IDAC to Ed Tech: Get Your Act Together - Post-COVID-19 learning app boom puts kids at risk, watchdogs say - An Embarrassment of Horrors - As if school-age children didn’t have enough to worry about. From the...more
On July 1, new requirements under California's automatic renewal will take effect. As we previously blogged, the amendments will require businesses to make it even easier for consumers to cancel and impose new requirements on...more
The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") recently issued an enforcement policy cautioning companies engaged in "negative option marketing" of potential legal action if the sign-up process for subscription services fails to...more
New York has enacted a new law, effective February 9, 2021, regulating automatic renewal and some “free trial” type agreements. While some organizations may have already taken steps to be in compliance with industry...more
We are back from the 2017 ANA/BAA Marketing Law Conference, Break Through: Legal Strategies for Dynamic Businesses. It was a great three days in Chicago of educational seminars and networking with colleagues, clients, friends...more