Australia Sues Amazon Over Prime Video Ad Bait-and-Switch
Australia's consumer watchdog takes Amazon to court over forced ads on Prime Video and unfair contract terms.
Amazon just got slapped with a lawsuit from Australia's ACCC — the country's consumer protection agency. The charge? Pulling a bait-and-switch on Prime Video subscribers.
The ACCC alleges Amazon introduced advertising into its Prime Video streaming service under unfair contract terms. Existing subscribers who signed up for an ad-free experience were suddenly served ads — and told to pay extra if they wanted them gone.
That's a bold move. You sell someone a service, then degrade it, then charge more to restore what they originally had. The ACCC isn't having it.
The lawsuit targets the fairness of Amazon's contract terms, arguing subscribers were effectively strong-armed into accepting ads or coughing up additional fees. It's a significant regulatory action that could have implications for how streaming platforms handle mid-subscription changes globally.