January 6, 2026
Cancel the cancel traps
Mamdani Targets Junk Fees and Hidden Charges in Two Executive Orders
NYC’s new mayor declares war on sneaky fees; internet cheers while skeptics ask if it’ll stick
TLDR: NYC’s new mayor signed two orders to crack down on junk fees and hard-to-cancel subscriptions. Commenters cheered the move and a “Click to Cancel” comeback, but debated whether executive orders are durable or need laws, and asked if state or federal rules should take this nationwide.
New York’s brand-new mayor Zohran Mamdani kicked off week one by signing two executive orders to yank the plug on junk fees and hard-to-cancel subscriptions—and the comments went full stadium roar. Fans love it, with one user celebrating the revival of Lina Khan’s “Click to Cancel” energy after it got iced in D.C. Others dunked on gyms and ticket sites with memes about finally escaping “$0.00 signup, $200 goodbye” traps. Phantom784 dropped receipts, while Samuel Levine of the city’s consumer protection office basically told companies, “Do right by your customers.”
But cue the drama: kg balked at the article framing this as a “leftist agenda,” asking if banning hidden charges is political or just common sense. everdrive wants to know if executive orders are just glittery headlines—nice today, flimsy tomorrow—and the__alchemist pressed on whether this should be handled by state or federal lawmakers to make it stick everywhere. Meanwhile, business leaders say: sure, protect people, just don’t turn it into a corporate cage match. The city’s also planning “rental rip-off” hearings and flexing on bad landlords, which set the comments buzzing about tenants finally getting the mic.
Bottom line: Big vibes for cleaning up checkout pages and sneaky subscriptions, with a side of “will it last?” and “who should really do this?”
Key Points
- •Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two executive orders to target junk fees and deceptive business practices in New York City.
- •The orders create a task force on junk fees and direct the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to enforce against hidden charges and cancellation hurdles.
- •Mamdani’s early agenda emphasizes consumer and tenant protections, including “rental rip-off” hearings within the first 100 days.
- •Lina Khan helped develop a slate of executive actions, and state actions by AG Letitia James include a $600,000 Equinox settlement and a multistate suit against Uber.
- •Business leaders previously opposed Mamdani’s platform, but post-primary engagement occurred via the Partnership for New York City, with calls for employer inclusion.