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In a significant legal action aimed at addressing the growing concerns surrounding Big Tech’s dominance, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a long-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon has harmed consumers by driving up prices, marking the latest effort by the US government to challenge the dominant position of tech giants on the internet.
The lawsuit, supported by 17 state attorneys general, comes after years of complaints regarding the abuse of market dominance by Amazon.com and other tech giants in areas such as search, social media, and online retail. These companies have effectively become gatekeepers of the most profitable segments of the internet.
The FTC and its state partners have accused Amazon of engaging in practices that prevent competitors and sellers from offering lower prices, leading to higher costs for consumers. Furthermore, the agency claims that Amazon’s actions degrade the quality of the shopping experience, overcharge sellers, hinder innovation, and unfairly suppress competition.
As part of the lawsuit, the FTC is seeking a permanent injunction that would require Amazon.com to cease these alleged unlawful practices.
One of the allegations against Amazon is its punitive treatment of sellers who attempt to offer prices lower than those set by Amazon itself. The company allegedly makes it challenging for consumers to locate such sellers on its platform. Additionally, Amazon is accused of favoring its own products over those of competitors on its platform, creating an anti-competitive environment.
FTC Chair Lina Khan, known for her work on Amazon.com’s dominance in online retailing during her time as a law student, has been actively involved in addressing the issues of Big Tech’s market power. She was part of the House committee that issued a report in 2020, advocating for measures to curb the influence of four major tech giants: Amazon.com, Apple, Google, and Facebook.
The need to address the power of Big Tech has found bipartisan support in the US. During the previous Trump administration, both the Justice Department and FTC initiated investigations into Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon. The Justice Department filed lawsuits against Google on two occasions, one during the Trump administration and another under President Joe Biden’s administration.
The FTC had previously sued Facebook during the Trump administration, and the current FTC under Biden has continued to pursue the lawsuit. This latest action against Amazon demonstrates the ongoing effort to address the market dominance and alleged anti-competitive practices of tech giants that have a profound impact on the digital landscape and consumers’ choices.
Sources By Agencies
