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The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics center in Lauwin-Planque, northern France, November 15, 2022.
The FTC takes on Amazon, Canadian investigation ongoing
The FTC says the online mega-retailer has engaged in a “pattern of illegal conduct” that includes blocking competitors, inflating prices, crushing innovation, and reducing market quality.
In essence, the FTC claims that Amazon traps consumers and sellers in its orbit, dominating market share and exploiting its position to undermine independent sellers and reduce choice for consumers while also using its position to drive up prices. It also alleges that Amazon games its search results to push its own products.
Amazon denies the allegations and says the lawsuit would hurt businesses and consumers alike, sending prices higher and slowing delivery speeds. It’s ready to fight back, and as a company valued at roughly $1 trillion, it has the resources to do so.
Anyone looking for a quick resolution is going to be disappointed. Canada launched an antitrust investigation into Amazon in August 2020. That probe is ongoing, and the Competition Bureau has not said when it expects to complete its work, which would precede any further action.
In 2022, the Canadian government amended its Competition Act to introduce stiffer fines and penalties for businesses that violated the law. Under the new rules, businesses like Amazon could be on the hook for as much as 3% of their annual gross revenues worldwide if found to be abusing their dominant market position, which is a lot more than the previous cap of CA$10 million.
We’re keeping an eye on how the FTC and Competition Bureau lawsuits and investigations proceed, and whether Amazon adjusts any of its practices in the meantime. It’s doubtful they will. In 2022, in Canada, the company threatened to shutter Marketplace if the government strengthened competition regulations, though it didn’t go through with the plans.
Biden’s executive order cracks down on Big Tech and protects consumers
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses tech policy in the United States and the new White House executive order with no less than 72 competition enhancing measures.
How will Biden's executive order crack down on big tech?
The answer is in almost every way. The order clearly seeks stronger antitrust enforcement with specific provisions on data and the impact of its assembling on privacy. The order asks for new rules on surveillance from the FTC but will also allow for assessments of not only future but also past mergers. And that is important because the very wealthy, very powerful tech companies are known to buy up competitors that they may fear, and through those mergers grow their data piles. So, the executive order must cause concern in Silicon Valley. The order goes on to restore net neutrality, which is crucial for smaller companies and noncommercial websites. And the position of consumers improves with the possibility to have products repaired or to see others doing that, which is a practice that is often banned today. So once these various measures are in place, the public interest, innovation, consumer rights, and privacy protection should be better safeguarded from abuse of power by big tech.