U.S. sues Adobe for allegedly ‘trapping’ subscription users
By ForGeeks Adobe, the company known for its Photoshop, Premiere and Illustrator products, has come under scrutiny from US law enforcement. Based on an appeal by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Adobe is accused of “trapping” users by forcing them to keep subscriptions they want to cancel.
Adobe is accused of “trapping” users by forcing them to keep subscriptions they want to cancel.
According to the lawsuit, the U.S. alleges that Adobe does not provide adequate information to consumers about the presence of high early termination fees (ETFs) in its “annual subscription with monthly fees” (APM) plans. This type of subscription is available not only for Photoshop, but also for Premiere Pro, Acrobat Pro, InDesign, Lightroom and other products. The lawsuit alleges that Adobe hides important plan terms in fine print, behind optional text boxes and hyperlinks, making them virtually invisible to most users.
The lawsuit alleges that Adobe hides important plan terms in fine print, behind optional text boxes and hyperlinks, making them virtually invisible to most users.
The US says Adobe is making it difficult to cancel subscriptions by creating barriers for users and charging early termination fees. To illustrate the problem, the lawsuit describes the process of buying a subscription. For example, when selecting a plan for Photoshop, users can see several options, including “annual subscription with monthly fees.” However, to get information about the early termination fee, users have to hover over the “i” icon, which the plaintiffs say is a willful concealment of terms.
The lawsuit describes the process as a deliberate concealment of terms.
Even the gray box information provided, which reads, “If you cancel your subscription after 14 days, your service will continue through the end of the current billing period and you will be charged an early termination fee,” is insufficient for consumers. The plaintiffs argue that nowhere on the plan selection page does it state that the subscription plan requires a binding annual contract.
The plaintiffs argue that the plan does not require an annual contract.
The U.S. seeks damages for the victims and an end to Adobe’s alleged deceptive practices.
