New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices • Hacker News Board

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#121

Post by littlecranky67 » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:07 PM UTC

forgetfreeman wrote: post #108

ar_lan wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no context of who you are/your position here, but the responses you're getting seem absurd to me. I just don't understand people placing the blame on you when it should be on your company. Most people in the world are just trying to keep their job - you did it. It wasn't something illegal, it was something that if you didn't do, you would have risked your job and then someone else would have done it anyway.

"I was just following orders" is not, and has never been, a credible defense of unethical behavior.

Unless you were in the US. There it always worked.

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#122

Post by jazzyjackson » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:07 PM UTC

mi_lk wrote: post #111

Just want to add to the pile that The New York Times is notorious for its unsubscription shenanigan

Anything Condé Nast too, which is pretty much everything. Nice office in the World Trade Center tho so they’ve got revenue figured out.

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#123

Post by ezfe » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:08 PM UTC

aubanel wrote: post #113

Probably a great decision, but why/how can it be decided at a local level by a mayor, instead of a federal level?

why: because the federal level is not doing it

how: by declaring it a law in that area

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#124

Post by woodruffw » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:08 PM UTC

aubanel wrote: post #113

Probably a great decision, but why/how can it be decided at a local level by a mayor, instead of a federal level?

I don’t think it would be a federal concern, but a state one.

However, in this case it’s because NYC law is typically allowed under NY state law to be stronger (but not weaker) than any corresponding state law.

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#125

Post by throwaway27448 » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:08 PM UTC

dmboyd wrote: post #84

bijowo1676 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

for service workers, up to 25k in tips can be deducted from taxable income ("no tax on tips")

Why should customers need to care about a store’s employees tax bracket

Because that's the shithole we live in. If you don't like it, take your head out of your ass and crucify a politician or move

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#126

Post by ToucanLoucan » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:09 PM UTC

atonse wrote: post #99

ar_lan wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no context of who you are/your position here, but the responses you're getting seem absurd to me. I just don't understand people placing the blame on you when it should be on your company. Most people in the world are just trying to keep their job - you did it. It wasn't something illegal, it was something that if you didn't do, you would have risked your job and then someone else would have done it anyway.

Exactly. Those low quality comments are an example of the sad erosion of quality of comments on HN that I and others have complained about in recent times.

It's perfectly valid in our increasingly enshittified world to be angry with all those responsible for it. As much as you're right to point the finger a the C-suites, ultimately ALL of these user-hostile features, every single one, only exists because devs keep putting fingers to keyboards in exchange for checks.

Tech workers had a time where unionization and getting a voice in our companies was very much on the table, and the biggest voices among us shouted down the others in the name of rockstar salaries and free beer at the office. The "top contributors" at huge companies were scared shitless that they might have to accept a wage too much like the REST of their software engineer coworkers. The horror.

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#127

Post by littlecranky67 » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:09 PM UTC

dqv wrote: post #37

jzer0cool wrote: post #25

Nintendo (subscription I have for my switch to access some older a classic games btw) is very good reminding me I have a subscription and whether I want to cancel (or renew). I don't have the email at hand but what I remember is thinking they really desire you to reflect to cancel (rather than a push to renew) if not wanting continued service. Sentiment of politeness and I find a good example what to do. Also, not a…

It goes > Subject: Information about Your Automatic Renewal > This is an automatically generated email from Nintendo for customers who have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack individual 12‑month (365‑day) membership set to renew automatically. > Dear [user], > Your Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack individual 12‑month (365‑day) membership will automatically renew soon. > ... > Deadline to turn off automa…

Because this is mandatory in the EU probably.

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#128

Post by sandcat_ » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:09 PM UTC

mi_lk wrote: post #111

Just want to add to the pile that The New York Times is notorious for its unsubscription shenanigan

For what it's worth, I just tried cancelling my NYTimes subscription to see if it was still as bad as I'd remembered, and aside from desperately begging me not to leave, it was quite simple. No need to contact support. I wasn't planning to go through with it, but I still got a nice discount for the next year, so.. thanks!

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#129

Post by paulfri » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC

mmmattt wrote: post #97

seattle_spring wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "and" is very important here. Places like Seattle now mandate servers get a real wage. It inexplicably hasn't changed tip culture at all, so now they get regular wages and still complain when someone doesn't tip 20%+ for a takeout order.

The mandate stipulates that they can get minimum wage, I wouldn’t call that a “regular” wage, and certainly not a livable one.

Seattle and its surrounding cities have among the highest minimum wages in the entire world (~$22/hour). You're maybe not renting a studio apartment by yourself but it is far from destitution.

Re: New York City to ban deceptive subscription practices

#130

Post by woodruffw » Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC

henryfjordan wrote: post #116

woodruffw wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a landmark change in NYC . Again: this is NYC’s official website. It might (as a stretch) be a “lie by omission” on a national newspaper’s website, but this is a website that is solely dedicated to NYC itself.

Now I'm being super pedantic, but every town can't have the same "landmark" law. What makes a law a "landmark" is that other municipalities look to it for direction. In a world where the California law exists, and the New York Times has been used as an example of the success of that law for years already, claiming some sort of moral victory with the "landmark" qualifier is objectively wrong. Does any of this matter?…

If you want to be pedantic, NYC is a different “land” to have a “landmark” for :-)

(I like arguing too. Nothing wrong with that. I think in this case it suffices that they’re regulations in different states with relatively different political histories, even if the political valence of the two is somewhat similar. I would agree if this was a “landmark” change for Irvine, CA.)