OKLAHOMA (KFOR) – Amazon is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as well as U.S. regulators in Oklahoma and 16 other states over allegations that the company has abused its power in the marketplace to raise prices, overcharge and smother competition.
Officials say the lawsuit aiming at Amazon is double-sided — claiming the company’s practices are anti-competitive in how it caters to consumers. Amazon’s measures allegedly penalize sellers and steer other online retailers away from providing lower prices than Amazon, which keeps prices higher for buyers across the internet, even off of Amazon.
FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan said it was a “one, two punch” that has “internet-wide effects” for buyers and sellers.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington and it is not specific regarding the remedies the FTC is looking for. Khan said Tuesday that right now, the case is aimed at seeking judgment from a court that establishes liability, according to The Hill.
Amazon’s senior vice president of global policy and general counsel David Zapolsky said that the lawsuit is “wrong on the facts and the law, and we look forward to making that case in court.”
“Today’s suit makes clear the FTC’s focus has radically departed from its mission of protecting consumers and competition. The practices the FTC is challenging have helped to spur competition and innovation across the retail industry, and have produced greater selection, lower prices, and faster delivery speeds for Amazon customers and greater opportunity for the many businesses that sell in Amazon’s store. If the FTC gets its way, the result would be fewer products to choose from, higher prices, slower deliveries for consumers, and reduced options for small businesses—the opposite of what antitrust law is designed to do. The lawsuit filed by the FTC today is wrong on the facts and the law, and we look forward to making that case in court.”
Amazon’s senior vice president of global policy and general counsel David Zapolsky
At the end of May, The Hill says Amazon agreed to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle allegations that said the company violated a child privacy law and lied to parents about data deletion on its voice assistant, Alexa.
In June, the FTC filed a lawsuit claiming the company fooled consumers into joining its Prime program and kept them from canceling subscriptions. Amazon also discounted those allegations, officials say.
Denial of responsibility! My Droll is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
