Adobe to pay $75 million settlement for making it too hard to cancel subscriptions

Adobe has agreed to a settlement with the US Department of Justice worth $150 million, including a $75 million fee paid to the DOJ and another $75 million in free services for users.

Adobe denies any wrongdoing, but will make repairs to DOJ and users worth $150 million total

From Adobe’s press release:

We have now finalized a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice that will bring to an end the litigation filed in June 2024 related to our disclosure and subscription cancellation practices. While we disagree with the government’s claims and deny any wrongdoing, we are pleased to resolve this matter. We have agreed to provide $75 million worth of free services to customers that qualify. We will proactively reach out to the affected customers once the appropriate filings with the Court are made and accepted. Additionally, we have agreed to a $75 million payment to the Department of Justice.

Consistent with its denial of any wrongdoing, Adobe says, “We are transparent with the terms and conditions of our subscription agreements, have a simple cancellation process and clearly disclose the details of our plans”.

Of course, the announcement does concede one thing: “In recent years, we have made our sign-up and cancellation processes even more streamlined and transparent.”

If you were impacted negatively by Adobe’s cancellation practices, somehow the company will know that and contact you about the $75 million worth of free services. Though I certainly hope there are no strings attached, such as signing up for an auto-renewing new Adobe plan.

Have you had problems canceling Adobe plans in the past? Have you heard anything from the company about its settlement? Let us know in the comments.

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