Shutterstock has agreed to a financial settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to resolve allegations of deceptive consumer billing and cancellation procedures.

Shutterstock 已同意與美國聯邦貿易委員會 (FTC) 達成財務和解，以解決關於誤導消費者計費與取消程序的指控。

The regulatory action centered on the alleged obfuscation of material terms pertaining to the entity's subscription frameworks. Specifically, the FTC asserted that the 'annual, paid monthly' plan lacked transparent disclosure regarding automatic renewal and the imposition of significant cancellation penalties. Furthermore, the agency contended that 'on-demand' content packs, marketed for singular projects, were subject to automatic annual renewal and replenishment without sufficient consumer notification.

此次監管行動的核心在於該公司被指隱瞞與訂閱框架相關的重要條款。具體而言，FTC 主張「年度計劃，每月付款」方案缺乏關於自動續訂及徵收高額取消違約金的透明揭露。此外，該機構認為，針對單一專案所行銷的「隨選」內容包，在未充分通知消費者的情況下，會被自動年度續訂並補充。

Procedural impediments to service termination were also a primary focus of the commission's findings. The FTC identified the implementation of systemic barriers designed to obstruct the cancellation process, including protracted telephonic wait times, redundant electronic correspondence requirements, and the necessity of navigating an eight-page sequence of digital materials. Christopher Mufarrige, the FTC's consumer protection chief, posited that the concealment of material terms and the creation of onerous cancellation protocols constitute a deprivation of consumer sovereignty and a distortion of competitive market dynamics.

終止服務的程序障礙也是委員會調查結果的主要焦點。FTC 發現該公司實施了旨在阻礙取消過程的系統性障礙，包括冗長的電話等待時間、重複的電子郵件往來要求，以及必須瀏覽長達八頁的數位材料序列。FTC 消費者保護主管 Christopher Mufarrige 認為，隱瞞重要條款並建立繁瑣的取消協議，構成了對消費者主權的剝奪以及對競爭市場動態的扭曲。

Concurrent with these legal developments, Shutterstock is engaged in a corporate consolidation process. In January 2025, the firm entered an agreement to be acquired by Getty Images, a transaction that would result in a combined entity with a valuation of $3.7 billion. This merger remains subject to ongoing scrutiny by regulatory bodies within the United States and Europe. Notably, the settlement was reached without an admission or denial of liability by Shutterstock.

與這些法律進展同時，Shutterstock 正處於企業整合過程中。2025 年 1 月，該公司達成協議由 Getty Images 收購，此交易將產生一家估值 37 億美元的合併實體。此次合併仍受到美國及歐洲監管機構的持續審查。值得注意的是，達成此和解協議時，Shutterstock 並未承認或否認法律責任。

Shutterstock has settled the FTC charges for $35 million while its pending acquisition by Getty Images undergoes regulatory review.

Shutterstock 以 3,500 萬美元解決了 FTC 的指控，而其待定的 Getty Images 收購案正處於監管審查中。