{
  "id": 13076820,
  "title": "New York City is coming for companies that make it hard to cancel subscriptions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/new-york-city-is-coming-for-companies-that-make-it-hard-to-cancel",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-09T09:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-enforces-new-click-to-cancel-rule-subscription-cancellations-2026-10"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New York City is taking action against companies that make it difficult for consumers to cancel subscriptions. The Mamdani administration has introduced a new rule, effective October 1st, that enables residents to file complaints against businesses that hinder the cancellation process. Companies found to be non-compliant could face fines ranging from $525 to $3,500, with the potential to reimburse affected consumers for unwanted services.\n\nAlex Aminov, a 37-year-old Brooklyn-based software developer, encountered trouble canceling his landline included in his Optimum internet package. After numerous attempts, he was eventually convinced to transfer the line to a mobile plan, only to find out that only some of the promised discounts would apply. Aminov is not alone in his struggle; many others have submitted complaints to the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, with specific issues arising from gyms, streaming services, and newer subscription services found on social media platforms.\n\nThe new rule, known as the \"click to cancel\" regulation, requires companies to make subscription terms clear, explain rights upon buying or canceling a membership, and provide a cancellation process as straightforward as the sign-up process. Complaints submitted in the first few days of the rule's implementation amounted to a few hundred, while approximately 6,000 New Yorkers visited the dedicated \"click to cancel\" website. Many of these complaints revolve around gyms, streaming services, and smaller subscription services advertised on Instagram.\n\nThe roadblocks to canceling subscriptions disproportionately affect older or less tech-savvy individuals, as noted by Emily Peterson-Cassin, director of competition and market fairness at the Consumer Federation of America. The rule aims to address what has been termed the \"annoyance economy,\" wherein time and annoyance are extracted from consumers just as money is. Some companies have already modified their cancellation processes in response to the new regulation, while others maintain that they comply with all applicable laws and regulations.",
  "summary": "Are you stuck in a gym or Internet membership because you can't figure out how to cancel? NYC wants to help.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}