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.

A federal appeals court dealt a blow to consumer protection efforts on Tuesday, ruling that subscription services will not be required to make it easier for consumers to cancel their plans. This “click-to-cancel” policy,