ExpressVPN sued in US over alleged unauthorized auto-renewal charges

ExpressVPN is currently facing legal action in the US due to allegations of engaging in “illegal” auto-renewal practices. The company has been accused of automatically charging a Californian customer a monthly fee without prior consent, leading to a class-action lawsuit being filed against them.

The plaintiff, Timothy Millar, lodged the lawsuit in a Californian court on June 13, 2025, claiming that ExpressVPN enrolled him in an auto-renewing monthly plan without his knowledge after his initial one-month subscription expired. This practice purportedly contravened California’s Automatic Renewal Law (ARL), which mandates that companies using auto-renewal systems must obtain affirmative consent from consumers and provide clear disclosures about the renewal process.

According to Millar’s legal team, ExpressVPN failed to adhere to these legal requirements, thus violating consumer protection laws. The lawsuit also alleges that ExpressVPN misrepresented its auto-renewal plans through misleading advertisements, thereby breaching the False Advertising Law. As a result, Millar is seeking a jury trial and financial compensation for himself and other Californian customers who have experienced similar auto-renewal charges.

In response to the lawsuit, ExpressVPN provided a statement affirming its commitment to transparency and user education regarding pricing, billing, and auto-renewal policies. The company asserted that customers are made fully aware of the auto-renewal mechanism throughout the purchase process and can disable it through their account management tools.

The legal action against ExpressVPN is part of a broader trend within the VPN industry, with other providers like NordVPN also facing similar lawsuits over alleged deceptive auto-renewal practices. The legal firm representing the plaintiffs in these cases has called on affected customers to come forward and seek legal recourse.

While it remains unclear how these ongoing lawsuits will impact the VPN industry’s subscription practices, some VPN providers have already moved away from auto-renewal models. Mullvad VPN, for instance, discontinued all recurring subscriptions in 2022 to prioritize user privacy.

Ultimately, the lawsuits against ExpressVPN and other VPN providers highlight the importance of consumer protection when it comes to subscription services. By holding companies accountable for violating auto-renewal laws and engaging in deceptive practices, customers can advocate for fairer and more transparent subscription models industry-wide.