I don't know about you, but every week I meet people who have become victims of deceptive marketing tactics that target folks online, on their cell phones, through their TV services and more. Consumers are invited to sign-up for a free subscription trial period only to discover that — at the end of that period — they are automatically enrolled and being charged for something they didn’t want to keep. These scams have exploited Americans of all ages and walks of life.
That's why I recently introduced legislation to protect consumers by requiring that they affirmatively choose to OPT-IN to a subscription service before they get locked into a contract after the free trial period.
The most insidious part of these scams is how they prey on the most vulnerable members of society by using software called 'dark patterns' that use social engineering techniques to make it as hard as possible to end subscriptions.
These bad actors also erode faith in the market — and undermine the credibility of businesses trying to do right by their customers. American consumers deserve respect, not deceptive subscription traps designed to pocket their money by duping them.