Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed a pair of executive orders aimed at protecting New Yorkers from “junk fees” and deceptive subscription practices that add hundreds of dollars to everyday costs and strain household budgets already stretched thin by the city’s high cost of living. The announcement, made at a press event in Long Island City with New York Attorney General Letitia James and other city officials, underscores the new mayor’s focus on affordability and consumer protection in his first 100 days in office.
“New Yorkers deserve to know exactly what they are paying, how much it will cost, and whether they are signing up for an ongoing charge before a single dollar leaves their account,” Mamdani said. “Too many people are hit with hidden fees and blindsided by subscription traps they never knowingly agreed to and cannot easily escape,” he added, calling these practices a burden on working families and a contributor to the affordability crisis.
The first executive order establishes a citywide junk fee task force co-chaired by Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Sam Levine. This task force is charged with intensifying enforcement of existing consumer protection laws, pursuing compliance actions where businesses are found to engage in opaque pricing, and coordinating city agency efforts to root out hidden charges in ticket sales, memberships, rental payments and other common transactions.
Commissioner Levine, tapped to lead DCWP after serving as director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, has overseen efforts targeting unfair fees and deceptive practices at the federal level and brings that expertise to city government. Levine emphasized that the executive order directs DCWP to fully use its existing authority to enforce transparency and hold companies accountable for fee practices that are already illegal under current law.
The second executive order focuses on recurring subscription charges that are difficult for consumers to cancel. Under this directive, DCWP will monitor and investigate subscription practices, enforce against deceptive or hard cancel arrangements, and recommend possible legislative reforms to the City Council to strengthen consumer protections.
Attorney General James praised the effort and highlighted past actions by her office, including cases in which New Yorkers were reimbursed for hidden costs tied to ride sharing services, gym memberships and automobile purchases. “We’ve taken action against companies whose subscription costs were hidden,” James said, noting that her office has recovered more than $600,000 for local consumers and returned millions of dollars to residents statewide.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin, a former DCWP commissioner, said junk fees disproportionately harm seniors and residents with limited English proficiency, who often struggle to navigate fine print and convoluted cancellation processes. “What we are doing today really makes a difference for so many New Yorkers,” Menin said.
Mamdani and Levine framed the crackdown as part of a broader affordability agenda that includes actions on housing, transit costs, tenant protections and other everyday expenses. The mayor highlighted that junk fees are not just a financial burden but a form of disrespect toward consumers, adding that clear pricing and accountability are essential to rebuilding trust between residents and businesses.
As the administration moves forward, both officials and advocates say they expect continued cooperation with state and local partners to better protect New Yorkers’ wallets in a challenging economic environment.
