Antitrust case against Amazon to move forward in the U.S.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission alleges online giant is using anti-competitive tactics
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) antitrust case against Amazon, which accuses the company of hindering competition in online retail, will proceed, though some claims from states that joined the lawsuit have been dismissed, according to court documents.
U.S. District Judge John Chun in Seattle made his decision public on Sept. 30, dismissing certain claims from attorneys general in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Oklahoma.
The FTC filed its lawsuit last year, accusing Amazon, which offers a billion items through its online marketplace, of using an algorithm that inflated prices for U.S. households by over $1 billion. Amazon, in its defense, said it discontinued the program in 2019.
The FTC has claimed that Amazon employed anti-competitive practices to maintain its dominance over other online marketplaces and superstores.
Amazon had asked the court to dismiss the case in December, arguing that the FTC had not presented evidence of consumer harm. However, Judge Chun ruled that it was too early to consider Amazon's arguments that its actions benefited competition.
