Today, the Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan group of 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. The suit focuses on how Amazon has illegally maintained its monopoly in the online superstore market. The suit follows several years of Public Knowledge advocacy on the competition challenges posed by dominant digital platforms like Amazon, including its misuse of seller data to prop up its own products.
The following can be attributed to Charlotte Slaiman, Competition Policy Director at Public Knowledge:
“The FTC’s suit details how Amazon pushed sellers to raise prices on other platforms, causing consumers to pay more for the same products while making it difficult for other platforms to compete. As one of the most powerful internet gatekeepers, Amazon controls the playing field on which so many other companies compete. I’m glad to see the FTC using its tools of antitrust enforcement to work towards more competition and openness in e-commerce. This FTC complaint makes clear that consumers are facing a less competitive marketplace as a result of Amazon’s conduct.
“In addition to the hard work that the FTC has done in this investigation and will do in litigating this case, we also need Congress to act. Aggressive enforcement at the FTC is an important part of how we build a fairer economy, but it will still be critical for Congress to pass new laws and rules to promote competition on and against dominant digital platforms like Amazon.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.