How Shanghai Consumer Council Challenges App Policies
The Shanghai Consumer Council has criticized auto-renewal practices across 70 mobile apps and 30 short-video platforms, highlighting significant shortcomings. According to Chinese media outlet IThome, the investigation uncovered that many apps failed to transparently disclose renewal pricing or notify users adequately before subscriptions were automatically renewed. For instance, Weibo’s payment interface lacked clear renewal prices, and Xiaoxiang Supermarket bypassed detailed user consent by combining service agreements and payment steps. Evernote was also flagged for failing to notify users of renewal dates via any channel.
The council’s findings also emphasized challenges in canceling subscriptions. While 47.1% of apps allowed users to cancel directly within the app, 48.6% required n...