eHarmony deceived customers with ‘subscription traps’ that cost hundreds of dollars, court finds
The Australian federal court has ruled that eHarmony engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct regarding its subscription practices. The dating site was found to have used 'subscription traps' that made it difficult for users to cancel and misled them about automatic renewal terms.
Why it matters
This ruling highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny on 'dark patterns' in digital subscriptions that exploit consumer confusion to generate recurring revenue.
The federal court found eHarmony engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, with one customer saying they’d had a $598.80 debt accrued and referred to the debt collector. The federal court found eHarmony engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, with one customer saying they’d had a $598.80 debt accrued and referred to the debt collector. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) eHarmony deceived Australian customers with ‘subscription traps’ that cost hundreds of dollars, court finds Australian consumer watchdog says it received hundreds of complaints about the US-based dating site and its memberships
Prefer the Guardian on Google Dating website eHarmony engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct over subscription traps that cost thousands of customers hundreds of dollars each, the federal court has found.
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