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New laws to make it easier to cancel subscriptions and get refunds

by chrisjj on 4/2/2026, 9:00:26 AM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg0v36ek2go

Comments

by: stavros

I'm worried that this regulation is overreaching and will kill innovation in dark patterns. Yet another example of how Europe trails behind the US by allowing their busybody lawmakers to get in the way of progress. If you can't trick your subscribers into being unable to unsubscribe any more, how will companies survive?

4/2/2026, 10:22:00 AM


by: weli

I always thought the law should be really simple. It should take an average person (independent from the case and a large enough sample) about the same time to pay for something than to refund&#x2F;return&#x2F;cancel it. That&#x27;s it.<p>I gladly am in Germany and companies are more scared of implementing dark patterns here for canceling products. When I was in the US I dreaded cancelling services because I knew they would make me jump around several hoops and even sometimes require contacting customer support.

4/2/2026, 9:59:05 AM


by: EZ-E

My honest take is: in an ideal world it should become possible to unsubscribe through our bank.<p>This also would prevent any dirty trick from companies trying to obfuscate unsubscribing.

4/2/2026, 10:30:03 AM


by: pndy

Don&#x27;t wanna bite but... Shouldn&#x27;t this also cover the tv license in the UK?

4/2/2026, 11:02:44 AM


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4/2/2026, 10:02:46 AM