The Washington Post: Federal Officials Look to Crack Down on Deceptive Subscription Marketing Practices at Broad Range of Firms

Federal regulators are looking at ways to make it harder for companies to trap consumers in monthly subscriptions that drain their bank accounts, attempting to respond to a proliferation of complaints over the past few years.

The review by the Federal Trade Commission comes as a number of companies have faced civil lawsuits and government investigations at a time when the marketing of subscription services has spread throughout the U.S. economy. The news media industry and other sectors have lobbied against stricter rules, and federal legislation that would curtail some of the practices has stalled. But that could soon be changing.