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ARTICLE · 09 SEPTEMBER 2024

The FTC And "Cancel Culture"

Crowell & Moring LLP
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On August 26, 2024, the FTC announced a stipulated order and settlement with Care.com for 8.5 MM.

United StatesConsumer Protection
Joanna Rosen Forster
Joanna Rosen Forster

On August 26, 2024, the FTC announced a stipulated order and settlement with Care.com for 8.5 MM. The complaint, filed in W.D. Tex. alleges various violations of Section 5 of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act with respect to the manner in which Care.com advertised and promoted the number of jobs available on its platform, and its auto-renew or subscription feature. The FTC labeled Care.com's subscription cancellation flow a "dark pattern"; it is hard to locate, and, once found, consumers must "navigate a multipage process rife with deceptive design tactics". The conclusion, per the FTC is that Care.com just doesn't want users to be able to cancel. In the stipulated order, the parties agreed that:

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