The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reversed its earlier decision to delay a September trial against Amazon, citing lack of resources due to cost-cutting measures. The move comes after Attorney Jonathan Cohen acknowledged the agency does not have resource constraints and is fully prepared to litigate the case.
Earlier this week, Cohen stated that the FTC had lost employees in the agency, division, and on the case team, but later clarified that some staff are scheduled to be on leave or have resigned. The commission has accused Amazon of using “deceptive user-interface designs” to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions.
Amazon has denied any wrongdoing and objects to a delay. The lawsuit claims damages worth at least $1 billion, with three senior executives as defendants. Despite resource shortfalls, the FTC is committed to pursuing the consumer protection case, according to Chairman Andrew Ferguson.
In February, President Trump signed an executive order limiting government agency hiring, which has affected some FTC staff. The commission’s building lease is also set to expire, potentially requiring staff to relocate during trial preparation.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/ftc-asks-delay-amazon-trial-due-severe-resource-shortfalls-2025-03-12