Read Joanna Marsh for our June 2024 print issue: ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Dear reader,

It's hard to avoid subscriptions. They're everywhere, from gym memberships to pet food subscription boxes to the ever-proliferating market of streaming services, and they might even seem like a good deal, giving you access to products without having to buy every single product separately. But while subscriptions can save consumers from the hassle of having to renew wanted services every month, they can pile up, and go months or years without being used or even remembered.

Subscriptions are great for companies, who get a consistent stream of revenue, but not necessarily for customers. That's why so many of them rely on dark patterns and intentionally misleading language to lock customers into plans that are difficult and time-consuming to cancel. The FTC is taking action to crack down on dark patterns and return control to the consumer, but there is still a long way to go.

For our June special issue on pricing, Joanna Marsh wrote about how subscriptions as a business model have captured so much of the market and how they use underhanded tactics to trick consumers into paying month after month. You can read the full story here. [link removed]

READ MORE >> [link removed]

Our June print issue, a collaboration with Groundwork Collaborative, is out now! In this issue, we explore how corporations use novel pricing strategies to grow record profits at the expense of the public, and how these tactics affect your everyday life.

This week and next, we'll be rolling out the issue one story at a time, covering everything from surveillance pricing to junk fees to medical bills and grocery pricing.

You can read the issue online as it comes out here. [link removed]

THE PRICING ISSUE >> [link removed]

Every day, our small but mighty team works hard to bring you the news you need on a shoestring budget. We're a nonprofit newsroom, and we don't have corporate backers or billionaire donors to subsidize our work. To make special projects like this month's issue possible, we rely on the generosity of our readers, who chip in a few dollars at a time to fund our work.

Thank you for supporting the Prospect for the long haul. It's because of your support that we've had an incredible start to the year so far: from launching our new YouTube show, to leading national coverage of the ongoing antitrust lawsuits against Apple and Google, to bringing new and important voices to our reporting.
To keep the momentum going, we need your ongoing support. Will you make a one-time donation to the Prospect today to help make projects like this possible? [link removed]

DONATE NOW >> [link removed]

Thanks for being a part of this,

David Dayen
Executive Editor
The American Prospect

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