Adobe Under Fire: FTC Sues Over Hidden Fees and Dark UX Patterns

Key Timestamps:

• (00:00) FTC suing Adobe for hiding fees and difficult cancellations

• (02:59) The high costs of being a freelance creative

• (08:11) The need for an all-in-one service for freelancers

In a concerning development for freelance creatives, Adobe finds itself in hot water once again.

The FTC is suing the company for hiding fees and making it difficult for users to cancel subscriptions - even charging cancellation fees.

This comes on the heels of revelations that Adobe can train its AI on users' artwork.

As the costs of essential tools like Adobe Creative Suite, media libraries, website hosting, and generative AI mount, the financial burden on freelancers is becoming unsustainable, especially for those just starting out.

It's time to reevaluate the industry's reliance on subscriptions and consider alternatives that don't exploit the "starving artist" model.

Key Takeaways:

• Adobe is being sued by the FTC for hiding fees and making it difficult to cancel subscriptions

• Freelance creatives face mounting costs for essential tools like software, media libraries, website hosting, and AI

• The subscription economy is making it increasingly difficult for new freelancers to afford the tools needed to compete

• There is a need for all-in-one solutions that provide affordable access to necessary resources for freelancers

Resources Mentioned:

• Reuters article on FTC suing Adobe

Quotable Quotes:

1. "Adobe is not in the business of you creating artwork. They're in the business of you not owning anything... and training their models."

2. "It's like the model has to buy all the makeup and to get the plastic surgery just to have a shot at the industry. That's where we're at right now."

3. "Clients just expect you to have this... Not everyone has that money. The starving artist, not every starving artist has that bank account."

4. "Creators are taking a lot of hits right now... This is a negative."

5. "There needs to be an all in one service for this... because too many companies are taking advantage of the starving artist model."

Discussion Questions:

1. What has been your experience with subscription-based creative tools? Have you encountered hidden fees or cancellation issues?

2. How can freelancers push back against the mounting costs and exploitative practices in the industry?

3. What would an ideal all-in-one platform for freelance creatives look like? What tools and resources should it include?