  Subscribing to online services is typically a straightforward process, but
cancelling them can be arduous and confusing -- causing many to resign and
continue paying for services they no longer use. Making the cancellation
intentionally difficult is recognized as a dark pattern called Roach Motel.
This paper characterizes the subscription and cancellation flows of popular
news websites from four different countries, and discusses them in the context
of recent regulatory changes. We study the design features that make it
difficult to cancel a subscription and find several cancellation flows that
feature intentional barriers, such as forcing users to type in a phrase or call
a representative. Further, we find many subscription flows that do not
adequately inform users about recurring charges. Our results point to a growing
need for effective regulation of designs that trick, coerce, or manipulate
users into paying for subscriptions they do not want.
