FX.co ★ Amazon Sued After Adding Ads To Prime Video

A class action lawsuit has been lodged against Amazon.com Inc., in California. The suit argues that the recent addition of advertisements to the Prime Video service contravenes previous promises of an "ad-free" experience.

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California last Friday, accusing Amazon of breaking contractual agreements and infringing state consumer protection laws. It contends that Amazon Prime subscribers who originally signed up under different conditions have been negatively impacted by the change which made an ad-supported tier the default for its customers.

As a result of this shift, Prime Video's ad-supported tier no longer provides access to Dolby Vision HDR or Dolby Atmos surround sound. These features used to be part of all Amazon Prime memberships. In the ad-supported tier, as reported by 4KFilme, a German website, and later confirmed by The Verge, Prime Video now streams content in HDR10 with Dolby Digital 5.1. To access the superior audio package, users must pay an additional $2.99 to obtain ad-free service.

The class action lawsuit, which is seeking $5 million in damages, aims to restrict Amazon from further deceptive business practices. It's on behalf of users who subscribed to Prime before December 28, 2023. The allegations in the lawsuit include breach of contract, false advertising, and unfair competition, all of which violate consumer protection laws in California and Washington.

Most Prime Video viewers have their subscription as part of their Amazon Prime package priced at $14.99 monthly, or $139 annually. A standalone Prime Video subscription costs $9.99 monthly, or $12.99 per month for access to Dolby Vision HDR or Dolby Atmos, with ads having been introduced to basic Prime Video subscriptions in the United States on January 29.