A U.S. appeals court has blocked the Federal Trade Commission's “click-to-cancel” rule that would have required companies to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it was to sign up.

A federal appeals court vacated the Federal Trade Commission's Click to Cancel rule -- which was to go into effect next week -- on procedural grounds.

On July 14, the Federal Trade Commission’s long-awaited rule would have required businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel subscriptions. Instead, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has clicked to cancel the rule entirely, leaving us all stuck suspended in the elaborate web of subscription services.