Amazon: FTC Could File Antitrust Lawsuit

Amazon: FTC Could File Antitrust Lawsuit

by  @lauriesullivan, February 3, 2023

Amazon: FTC Could File Antitrust Lawsuit | DeviceDaily.com

The Fed­eral Trade Com­mis­sion (FTC) reportedly is determining whether or not to file an an­titrust law­suit against Ama­zon.

The report did not call out which parts of Amazon’s businesses that the FTC would target and the timing of any case was uncertain, according to the report by The Wall Street Journal, citing sources.

The lawsuit could chal­lenge a variety of the company’s busi­ness prac­tices as anticompetitive.

The com­mis­sion could opt to not proceed, according to the sources, because an investigation does not al­ways bring about cases, even when it is mak­ing prepa­ra­tions to do so.

Lina Khan, chairperson of the FTC, has taken aim at numerous Amazon acquisitions, and the company’s use of internal third-party sales data.

The FTC began investigating Amazon while Republican Chairman Joseph Simons ran the agency when Donald Trump was president. Amazon has been criticized for allegedly favoring its own products and disfavoring outside sellers on its platform.

Amazon reached a settlement with the European Union in three antitrust probes late last year after it addressed the EU’s concerns over use of seller data.

The Seattle Times reported that last fall, California sued Amazon, saying the company forces third-party merchants to agree to policies that lead to “artificially high prices” for consumers. The lawsuit is ongoing.

The FTC reportedly is determining whether or not to file an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. The report did not detail which parts of Amazon’s businesses the FTC would target and the timing of any case was uncertain, according to a report by “The Wall Street Journal.”
 

(16)