NEW DELHI: The US Federal Trade Commission filed a long-awaited antitrust case on Tuesday Amazon.com, days after similar lawsuits were filed against Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms’ Facebook.
According to reports, US regulators and 17 states claimed that Amazon’s policies inflate online prices and stifle competition.
It also accused the online giant of “harming” consumers with prices.
The lawsuit marks the latest action by the US government aimed at breaking the law Great technology‘s dominance of the internet.
After years of complaints, Amazon.com and other tech giants were expected to abuse their dominance in search, social media and online retail to become gatekeepers to the most lucrative aspects of the internet.
It was filed after a four-year investigation.
“The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions allow it to prevent rivals and sellers from lowering prices, reducing quality for shoppers, overcharging sellers, stifling innovation and preventing rivals compete fairly with Amazon,” the agency said in a statement.
The FTC said it was asking the court to issue a permanent injunction ordering Amazon.com to stop its unlawful conduct, Reuters reported.
The FTC said Amazon, founded in 1994 and valued at more than $1 trillion, punished sellers who tried to offer prices lower than Amazon’s by making it difficult for consumers to find sellers on Amazon’s platform to find.
Other accusations include that Amazon favored its own products on its platforms over competitors who were also present on the platform.
The need to take action against Big Tech has received bipartisan support, from Democrats and Republicans alike.
During the Trump administration, which ended in 2021, the Justice Department and the FTC opened investigations into Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.
The Justice Department has sued Google twice: once under Republican Donald Trump over its search activities and a second time over ad technology since Democratic President Joe Biden took office.
The FTC sued Facebook during the Trump administration, and Biden’s FTC continued the lawsuit.
(With input from Reuters)
According to reports, US regulators and 17 states claimed that Amazon’s policies inflate online prices and stifle competition.
It also accused the online giant of “harming” consumers with prices.
The lawsuit marks the latest action by the US government aimed at breaking the law Great technology‘s dominance of the internet.
After years of complaints, Amazon.com and other tech giants were expected to abuse their dominance in search, social media and online retail to become gatekeepers to the most lucrative aspects of the internet.
It was filed after a four-year investigation.
“The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions allow it to prevent rivals and sellers from lowering prices, reducing quality for shoppers, overcharging sellers, stifling innovation and preventing rivals compete fairly with Amazon,” the agency said in a statement.
The FTC said it was asking the court to issue a permanent injunction ordering Amazon.com to stop its unlawful conduct, Reuters reported.
The FTC said Amazon, founded in 1994 and valued at more than $1 trillion, punished sellers who tried to offer prices lower than Amazon’s by making it difficult for consumers to find sellers on Amazon’s platform to find.
Other accusations include that Amazon favored its own products on its platforms over competitors who were also present on the platform.
The need to take action against Big Tech has received bipartisan support, from Democrats and Republicans alike.
During the Trump administration, which ended in 2021, the Justice Department and the FTC opened investigations into Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.
The Justice Department has sued Google twice: once under Republican Donald Trump over its search activities and a second time over ad technology since Democratic President Joe Biden took office.
The FTC sued Facebook during the Trump administration, and Biden’s FTC continued the lawsuit.
(With input from Reuters)
ADVERTISEMENT
