Japan consumer panel proposes ban on obstructing subscription cancellations
( September 1, 2026, 06:19 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: An expert panel under Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency proposed on Monday prohibiting businesses from obstructing consumers seeking to cancel subscription services, amid a surge in related complaints. In a draft interim report, the panel called for amending the Consumer Contract Act to ban practices such as withholding information relevant to cancellations or refusing to accept cancellation requests. Citing consumers’ “vulnerability” when using digital services, another panel of the agency recently proposed regulating so-called dark patterns — manipulative interfaces that can distort consumer decisions — under the commercial transactions law.The statement is attached (in Japanese)....
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