The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com, days after similar lawsuits were filed against Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms’ Facebook.
According to reports US regulators and 17 states alleged that Amazon’s policies inflate online prices and stifle competition.
It also charged the online giant with “harming consumers” with prices.
The lawsuit marks the latest US government action aimed at breaking Big Tech’s dominance of the internet.
It had been expected after years of complaints that Amazon.com and other tech giants abused their dominance of search, social media and online retailing to become gate keepers on the most lucrative aspects of the internet.
It has been filed after a four-year investigation.
“The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon,” the agency said in a statement.
The FTC said that it was asking the court to issue a permanent injunction ordering Amazon.com to stop its unlawful conduct, Reuters reported.
