FTC Faces Resource Shortage Amidst Amazon Prime Trial

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requested a delay in their trial against Amazon due to significant resource shortfalls. The agency is struggling with staffing and funding constraints following policies initiated by the Trump administration. The trial involves Amazon's alleged deceptive practices with its Prime subscription service.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal court to delay its trial against Amazon, citing dire resource shortages. The trial, initially set for September, is centered around claims that Amazon misled consumers about its Prime subscription service.

According to FTC attorney Jonathan Cohen, the agency is experiencing a significant loss of personnel and funding constraints, partly due to cost-cutting measures from the Trump administration. This shortage has affected their ability to effectively pursue the case against Amazon, which the FTC accuses of using deceptive practices.

The case involves accusations against Amazon for exploiting 'dark patterns' to enroll users in automatically-renewing subscriptions, a claim the company denies. Despite the obstacles, the FTC is pushing to proceed, while Amazon's attorney disputes the need for a delay, urging the court to maintain the original schedule.

(With inputs from agencies.)