Amazon’s ‘Iliad’ Under Siege: Federal Trial on Prime Cancellation Begins

The “Iliad,” Amazon’s internal codename for its Prime cancellation process, is now under siege in a federal courtroom. The U.S. government has taken the e-commerce giant to trial, alleging that this intentionally arduous process was the cornerstone of an illegal scheme to trap millions of consumers in unwanted subscriptions.
The Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit claims the difficult cancellation was the final step in a deceptive journey that began at checkout. The first step involved “dark patterns”—manipulative design choices that allegedly tricked users into signing up for Prime. The FTC will present evidence that declining the offer was made deliberately non-intuitive.
The government argues that the “Iliad” flow was a calculated business strategy to reduce subscriber churn. By making cancellation a confusing, multi-page ordeal, Amazon could keep charging customers who no longer wanted the service. The FTC is framing this as a clear-cut case of unfair and deceptive practices.
This trial is a major test of the government’s resolve to regulate the digital economy. It is part of a series of lawsuits targeting the business practices of America’s largest tech companies. A victory for the FTC could establish a powerful new precedent for transparency and user-friendliness in online subscription services.
Amazon has denied the allegations, stating that its primary goal is customer satisfaction. The company’s legal team will argue that the “Iliad” process is a thing of the past and that the FTC’s case is an unfair attack on a popular and valuable service. The trial is expected to last four weeks and will feature testimony from Amazon executives.