A legal war of epic proportions has begun in a Seattle courtroom, as the Federal Trade Commission takes on Amazon in a battle over the “Iliad.” The government’s lawsuit, now at trial, uses the company’s own internal codename for its Prime cancellation process as a central weapon in its case for consumer deception.
The FTC alleges that the “Iliad” flow was a long, arduous, and deliberately confusing process, much like the Trojan War it was named after. The agency argues that this system was a strategic barrier designed to wear down customers and prevent them from unsubscribing from the $139-a-year service.
The battle also extends to the moment of enrollment. The FTC accuses Amazon of using “dark patterns” at checkout to conscript users into its Prime army without their full consent. These manipulative designs, the government claims, were the first stage of the trap.
This trial represents a major offensive in the government’s campaign to regulate the practices of dominant tech companies. The FTC is seeking not just spoils in the form of financial penalties but a permanent surrender, forcing Amazon to change its practices under court supervision.
Amazon is mounting a strong defense, arguing that the government’s narrative is a myth. The company contends that its processes have always been lawful and that the “Iliad” system is a thing of the past. The jury will now serve as the arbiters in this epic legal conflict.