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ARTICLE · 06 MAY 2026

Spring Cleaning Your Subscription Practices: What To Toss Before Regulators Do

Davis+Gilbert LLP
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Federal and state regulators are intensifying their focus on subscription business practices, from misleading disclosures to complex cancellation flows.

United StatesConsumer Protection
Paavana Kumar
Paavana Kumar
Amy N. Marcus
Amy N. Marcus
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The Bottom Line

  • Subscription “tricks and traps,” including insufficient disclosures and misleading upfront advertising, continue to be top of mind for both the FTC and state regulators.
  • Subscription-based businesses should act now to fully audit all e-commerce practices, from initial offers to disclosures, consent mechanisms, cancellation and retention flows, and pricing practices.

For subscription businesses in 2026, the compliance landscape is shifting fast and getting more complicated by the day. Federal and state regulators continue to focus on automatic renewal practices, even as the FTC’s rulemaking agenda evolves. Below is a practical snapshot of where things stand and what businesses should prioritize now.

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