The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a federal lawsuit against Adobe today, accusing the firm of harming consumers with deceptive business practices. The case was referred to the DOJ by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
“For years, Adobe has harmed consumers by enrolling them in its default, most lucrative subscription plan without clearly disclosing important plan terms,”
the complaint alleges. “Adobe fails to adequately disclose to consumers that by signing up for the ‘Annual, Paid Monthly’ subscription plan (‘APM plan’), they are agreeing to a year-long commitment and a hefty early termination fee (‘ETF’) that can amount to hundreds of dollars. Adobe clearly discloses the ETF only when subscribers attempt to cancel, turning the stealth ETF into a powerful retention tool that by trapping consumers in subscriptions they no longer want.”
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