Subscriptions

On July 9, 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU” or “Court”) delivered its judgment in Sky Österreich Fernsehen (C-234/25), deciding that a streaming offering constitutes a digital service under the Consumer Rights Directive (Directive 2011/83/EU), rather than digital content, where the trader’s offering is of a dynamic nature and goes beyond the stable or continuous provision of specific content. As a result, providers of such streaming offerings cannot rely on the Consumer Rights Directive’s exception to the right of withdrawal for digital content.

The judgment has broad implications for providers of personalised digital services, as it affects whether consumers can cancel a subscription during the 14-day withdrawal period and, if they do, how much providers may charge for use of the service during that period.

Continue Reading CJEU Decides When Streaming Subscriptions Are Subject to the Right of Withdrawal

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is poised to re-start a rulemaking process regarding disclosures and requirements for subscription and auto-renewing products and services.  On January 30, 2026, the FTC submitted a draft Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on the Rule Concerning the Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans (the Rule), commonly known as the Negative Option Rule, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review. 

Continue Reading FTC Restarts Negative Option Rulemaking Process

On March 23, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would significantly revise the legal framework governing automatically renewing subscriptions.  The proposal would amend the FTC’s existing Negative Option Rule to provide specific disclosure, consent, and cancellation requirements applicable to all negative options in all media.  The Rule would formalize many of the guidelines from the FTC’s October 2021 Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing (“Policy Statement”) and incorporate new requirements not previously addressed at the federal level such as renewal reminders.  

Continue Reading FTC Proposes to Rewrite Negative Option Rule with Expansive Notice of Proposed Rulemaking