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Why has US Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon?

30 Sep 2023 Zinkpot 208
  • The e-commerce giant Amazon is facing legal charges on being sued by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 other states on the grounds of a long-awaited antitrust fight.
  • The FTC filed the antitrust lawsuit against Amazon on September 26th charging the online retailer with harming consumers with higher prices, aimed at breaking Big Tech’s dominance of the Internet.
  • The FTC alleges that the e-commerce giant is a monopolist that uses a set of interlocking anti-competitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power.
  • This means Amazon’s actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrading quality for shoppers, overcharging sellers, stifling innovation, and preventing rivals from fairly competing against Amazon.
  • It exclaimed that Amazon, founded in 1994 and worth more than $1 trillion, punished sellers that sought to offer prices that were lower than Amazon’s by making it difficult for consumers to find the seller on Amazon’s platform.
  • Other allegations include that Amazon gave preference to its own products on its platforms over competitors’ on the platform. It had used illegal tactics to fend off companies that would have risen to challenge its monopoly. 
  • The FTC, along with its state partners, are seeking a permanent injunction in federal court that would prohibit Amazon from engaging in its unlawful conduct and restore competition in the market.
  • Not just this, the FTC has sued Google twice once under Republican Donald Trump regarding its search business and 2nd time on advertising technology since Democratic President Joe Biden took office. It also sued Facebook during the Trump Administration and Biden’s FTC went forward with this lawsuit.
  • What is the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)? It is an independent agency of the United States government with a primary mission to protect consumers and promote competition in the marketplace. 
  • The FTC accomplishes this mission by enforcing a variety of laws and regulations that aim to prevent anticompetitive business practices and protect consumers from deceptive and unfair practices.
  • It enforces antitrust laws designed to prevent anticompetitive behavior in the marketplace. This includes reviewing proposed mergers and acquisitions to ensure they do not lead to monopolistic or anticompetitive outcomes.
     

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