Adobe has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, and will provide approximately 12 billion yen worth of services to affected users free of charge.

by Ian Usher

Adobe, a major creative software company, has announced it will pay $75 million (approximately 11.95 billion yen) to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. government alleging that it harmed consumers by intentionally making it difficult to cancel subscriptions and obscuring cancellation fees.

Adobe's Statement Regarding the Department of Justice Settlement
https://news.adobe.com/news/2026/03/adobe-statement

Adobe will pay $75 million to settle US cancellation fee lawsuit | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/tech/894555/adobe-75-million-doj-settlement-subscriptions

Adobe offers its products not as a one-time purchase but as a monthly subscription service, requiring users to pay a fixed monthly fee to use Adobe software. However, the difficulty in canceling Adobe subscriptions has long been a point of contention, leading the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to launch an investigation in December 2023 and file a lawsuit in June 2024.

The Federal Trade Commission has sued Adobe, claiming its subscription cancellation process is too complicated and fraudulent - GIGAZINE

The lawsuit pointed out that Adobe had failed to clearly and conspicuously disclose the 'important contractual condition' of cancellation fees incurred in its 'annual subscription (monthly payment) plan,' and that it continued its illegal activities despite being aware of numerous complaints from consumers. The lawsuit also criticized the complex and time-consuming procedures involved, such as requiring users to navigate multiple pages online or being passed around to several different representatives on the phone.

Adobe has responded to the lawsuit by stating, 'We have made our subscription terms and conditions transparent and our cancellation process simple. We also clearly disclose details of our plans, which are meticulously designed to maximize value and benefits for our customers. In recent years, we have further simplified and increased the transparency of our registration and cancellation processes.'

However, the company stated, 'We have reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice, which has brought to an end the lawsuit filed in June 2024 regarding our disclosure of information and subscription cancellations. We do not agree with the government's claims and deny any wrongdoing, but we are pleased that this matter has been resolved.'

Adobe has stated that it will provide $75 million worth of services free of charge to eligible users. It has also agreed to pay $75 million to the U.S. Department of Justice.