The judge ruled before the trial of the Prime membership registration case: Amazon violated the Internet Consumer Protection Law.

A judge in the United States ruled on Wednesday that Amazon violated consumer protection laws by collecting billing information from subscription users before disclosing the terms of the Prime membership service. This ruling was a partial victory for the Federal Trade Commission. The case accuses Amazon of using deceptive tactics to lure users into signing up for Prime memberships. Judge John Chun's ruling puts Amazon at a disadvantage in the upcoming trial. The FTC is prepared to present evidence that the online retailer automatically enrolled millions of users in Prime memberships without their consent, and obstructed the cancellation process for millions of users through a complicated procedure. The agency stated that these actions violate the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act. The judge also ruled that if the FTC proves Amazon's illegal conduct in court, two Amazon executives will be held accountable, and Amazon is prohibited from using the defense that the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act does not apply to Prime membership registrations.