The Federal Trade Commission is attempting to flip Amazon’s most famous corporate value on its head in a federal trial that started this week. The government will argue that when it came to Prime cancellations, the “customer-obsessed” company became “customer-obstructed.”
The FTC’s case will portray the “Iliad” cancellation process as the ultimate example of this obstruction. The “labyrinthine” system, the government contends, was the polar opposite of a customer-obsessed design. It was a deliberately frustrating experience designed to serve the company’s financial interests, not the customer’s desire to leave.
This line of argument is a direct attack on Amazon’s carefully cultivated brand identity. The company prides itself on its “customer obsession,” and the FTC is seeking to prove that this value was selectively applied, conveniently forgotten when it came to letting subscribers go.
The trial will also frame the use of “dark patterns” as a form of obstruction. By making the path to purchase without a subscription confusing, Amazon was obstructing the customer’s ability to make a clear and informed choice.
Amazon’s defense will be a vigorous reaffirmation of its core value. The company’s lawyers will present evidence and testimony to show that every decision, including the design of its subscription systems, was made with the customer’s best interests at heart. They will argue the FTC’s “customer-obstructed” narrative is a complete fabrication.