European Union: Opened investigation into Amazon for anti-competitive data usage
Description
Opened investigation into Amazon for anti-competitive data usage
On 17 July 2019, the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation into Amazon for allegedly breaching EU competition rules by collecting and using data from retailers, who offer their goods on the Amazon website. The Commission alleges that Amazon used the data that is not publicly available in its business decisions to adjust its retail offers. If these practices are proven to be true, Amazon would have violated both Article 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Original sourceScope
Policy Area
Competition
Policy Instrument
Unilateral conduct regulation
Regulated Economic Activity
platform intermediary: e-commerce
Implementation Level
supranational
Government Branch
executive
Government Body
central government
Complete timeline of this policy change
Hide details
2019-07-17
under deliberation
2020-11-10
under deliberation
2022-07-14
in consultation
2022-09-09
processing consultation
Key regulatory dimensions
Regulated subjects
The businesses, government agencies or individuals affected by this policy or regulatory change.
defendant
1
Type
Private organisation
Economic activity
platform intermediary: e-commerce
Category
Firm-specific
Policy change by business practice
The detailed activities within the scope of this policy or regulatory change.
corporate data: customer/user behavioural data: data processing
Regulatory tool
Prohibition of targeted trading partner under-cutting or other discrimination
Prohibition of self-preferencing in algorithms or presentation
Sanctions
Regulated subjects