Morning Brew Daily: "Is Amazon Prime Too Hard to Cancel? & Tylenol-maker Tanks From Autism Claims"

Date: September 23, 2025
Hosts: Toby Howell and guest co-host Kyle Hagie

Episode Overview

This episode of Morning Brew Daily centers on tech giants grappling with regulators (Amazon vs. FTC and Google vs. DOJ), a political controversy linking Tylenol to autism and its impact on the pharma sector, the meteoric rise of health-tech wearable company Oura Ring, and the new food review app Belly shaking up Yelp’s dominance. Witty and fast-paced, hosts Toby and Kyle provide clear breakdowns of the legal, business, and cultural implications of each story, complete with personal anecdotes and memorable, shareable moments.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Amazon Prime vs. FTC: Is It Too Hard to Cancel?

Timestamps: 03:19 – 06:56

• Topic: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing Amazon, alleging the company knowingly made it confusing for users to cancel Prime memberships.
• "Iliad" Cancellation Flow: Internal Amazon documents named the convoluted cancellation process “Iliad” (after the Trojan War epic).
  • “To brave the Iliad flow, customers had to navigate a 4 page 6 click 15 option cancellation process that also contained numerous pop ups and warnings...” (Toby, 03:36)
• Regulatory Basis: The 2010 Roscoe “Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence” Act, which requires online services to obtain clear consent, is central to the case.
• Personal Liability: Some Amazon executives may face personal liability — an unusual twist compared to previous tech antitrust cases.
• Prime's Value: $44 billion in Prime revenue last year; members spend twice as much as non-members (Toby, 05:30)
• User Experience: Kyle agrees Prime is essential but says the cancellation process compares favorably to gym memberships.
  • “I think Amazon prime personally is actually like fairly easy to cancel...compared to like a gym membership, like Amazon prime is a lot easier than that.” (Kyle, 06:27)

Notable Quote

“There will be some internal Amazon documents...I’m sure there’ll be a lot of news about what they’re saying internally at Amazon. And is that consistent with what they’re saying to the media?”
— Kyle, 04:37

2. Google Faces DOJ Over Ad Tech Monopoly

Timestamps: 06:56 – 10:56

• Topic: DOJ is seeking to break up Google’s ad tech empire after a judge found it operates a monopoly in digital advertising tools.
• Scope of Dominance:
  • Google AdX: 54–65% share of display ad exchanges.
  • Google Ad Manager: Over 90% of the ad server market.
  • US ad revenue: $86 billion projected for 2025 (Toby, 09:11)
• Potential Remedies: DOJ wants structural divestment; Google argues proposed solutions are too radical, suggesting minor changes.
• Internal Documents: Details may emerge about Google previously offering to sell its ad exchange in EU negotiations.
• Comparison to Previous Cases: Unlike the Chrome/browser case where AI was cited as changing market dynamics, the ad market is seen as less vulnerable to disruption.

Notable Quote

“At this point it feels like Google is just one monopoly, that's actually three monopolies in a trench coat.”
— Kyle, 08:09

3. Tylenol-Autism Controversy: The Damage to Kenvu

Timestamps: 10:56 – 15:17

• Topic: Trump administration, with key health officials, suggests a link between Tylenol (acetaminophen) and autism—despite lack of scientific consensus.
• Research Recap:
  • Harvard meta-analysis: Found “association” but not causation.
    • "We cannot answer the question about causation. That is very important to clarify." — Dr. Didier Prada (cited by Kyle, 11:38)
  • Swedish study of 2.5 million children found no causal link.
• Business Impact:
  • Kenvu (Tylenol's maker) shares dropped 17% after rumors and 7% post-announcement.
  • Company statement: “We believe independent sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.” (Toby, 12:17)
• Diagnosis Trend: Autism diagnoses increased from ~0.5% in the 1990s to 3% in 2000, largely attributed to expanded definitions and better diagnostics.
• FDA Stance: Continues to state acetaminophen is “reasonable” for pregnant women in certain scenarios (Kyle, 14:47).
• Political Pressures: Kenvu and pharma broadly are reacting more to politics than science, with sustained pressures since the Trump and RFK Jr. administrations.

Notable Quote

“Despite this announcement yesterday the FDA issued a press release saying...‘it remains reasonable, however, for pregnant women to use acetaminophen in certain scenarios.’”
— Kyle, 14:47

4. Oura Ring: Wearables Unicorn Grows Fast

Timestamps: 17:22 – 21:10

• Topic: Oura Ring raises $875 million (Series E), nearly doubling its valuation to $11 billion, with over 5 million rings sold (up from 2.5 million in June 2024).
• Growth Factors:
  • Female shoppers and HSA/FSA eligibility driving sales.
  • Major US military adoption: tens of thousands of troops use rings for fatigue/stress monitoring.
  • International retail expansion — 4,000+ stores.
• Revenue Model: Pivoting from hardware to software/subscription (now 20% of revenue).
• Industry Context: Global wearables market projected to double to $150 billion by 2030.
• Staying Private: CEO Tom Hale touts benefits of not rushing into the public market; follows trend of mega-rounds for private growth-stage companies (SpaceX, Stripe).
• Competitive Threats: Apple’s rumored ring and continued investment in health ecosystem is a looming risk.

Notable Quote

“I am wearing two wearables as we speak right now. Neither one of them are an Oura ring, but this is a hot product right now.”
— Toby, 18:50

“There’s a famous quote that’s like: first-time founders focus on products. Second-time founders focus on distribution. And I think Oura had figured out distribution for their rings earlier than some of their competitors.”
— Kyle, 20:10

5. Belly: The “Letterboxd for Lunch” Eats Yelp’s Lunch

Timestamps: 21:10 – 24:14

• Topic: New social restaurant review app Belly surges in popularity among young consumers, threatening Yelp.
• How It Works:
  • Users rate meals by comparing to past experiences—not just 1-5 stars.
  • App analytics show 80% of users are under 35.
  • 75 million reviews logged vs. Yelp’s 83.6 million (which includes reviews of all business types).
  • Social features: share food photos, check friends’ recommendations.
• User Sentiment and Trends:
  • Users enjoy “delusionally pretending you’re a food critic.”
    • “The best part is delusionally pretending you're a food critic. A weird self-ordained credibility.” (Kyle, quoting a user, 23:21)
  • Belly compared to Letterboxd (movies), Strava (running), Goodreads (books) for how Gen Z and Millennials log/share experiences.
• Wider Trend: Digital “logging” tools are increasingly core to young people’s identities and social circles.

Notable Quote

“If you watch a movie, you review it on Letterboxd. If you go for a run, you put it on Strava. If you read a book, you got to put it on your Goodreads. If you have a dank meal, you put it on a Belly.”
— Toby, 24:14

6. Quick Headlines & Memorable Moments

Timestamps: 24:14 – end

• Jimmy Kimmel Returns: After being suspended for controversial remarks, Jimmy Kimmel Live resumes; debate rages on free speech and media accountability.
  • “I wonder what the ratings are going to look like on his first show back.” (Toby, 26:10)
• Nvidia & OpenAI Super Deal: $100 billion investment deal: Nvidia supplies chips, gains stake (no voting rights) in OpenAI, drawing scrutiny over self-reinforcing demand loops in the AI “gold rush.”
  • "Nvidia has been [the one] funding the gold rush, but now they’re also financing the miners themselves too." (Toby, 27:04)
• Arc’teryx Fireworks Backlash: Viral dragon-shaped fireworks in Tibet provoke outrage over environmental harm, highlighting brand-value misalignments for outdoor companies.

Notable Quote

“If you’re a company that is stated to be outdoors, cares about the environment, you shouldn’t be doing something that’s even perceived to put the environment in harm’s way.”
— Kyle, 28:58

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Amazon’s cancellation process:
  “Customers had to navigate a 4-page, 6-click, 15-option cancellation process...seemingly designed to make them give up before finishing.”
  — Toby, 03:36

• On Google facing endless lawsuits:
  "At this point, it feels like Google is just one monopoly that's actually three monopolies in a trench coat."
  — Kyle, 08:09

• On rating every part of life:
  “If you watch a movie, you review it on Letterboxd...If you have a dank meal, you put it on a Belly.”
  — Toby, 24:14

• On competitive pressure in wearables:
  “Big bad Apple is waiting in the wings...I’d be a little nervous if I was Oura.”
  — Toby, 21:10

Episode Timeline: Major Segments

• [03:19] Amazon Prime’s FTC Lawsuit
• [06:56] Google’s DOJ Ad Tech Monopoly Case
• [10:56] Tylenol, Autism Claims and Kenvu Stock Impact
• [17:22] Oura Ring’s Explosive Growth and Wearables Market
• [21:10] Belly vs. Yelp & The Logging Trend Among Gen Z
• [24:14] Quick Headlines: Kimmel Returns, Nvidia/OpenAI, Arc’teryx Fireworks in Tibet

Conclusion

This edition of Morning Brew Daily delivers fast, razor-sharp analysis on the legal pressure facing tech, how health misinformation impacts business, the ongoing wearable tech wars, and shifts in food and social media culture—always with humor and a keen eye for implications on business and society alike.