Amazon Moves to End Long-Running E.U. Antitrust Case

The concessions from Amazon would last five years and apply only to its operations in the European Union. The settlement is under review, with a final decision by the commission expected later in the year. Rival companies and other groups have until Sept. 9 to submit their views on Amazon’s offer to the commission.

A settlement would help Amazon avoid a penalty that could total billions of dollars.

The settlement offer stems from two active investigations. In 2019, the commission started looking into Amazon’s collection of data about merchants. Another inquiry, into Amazon Prime and the Buy Box, began the next year.

The European Union has been sharpening its scrutiny of the world’s largest technology companies. Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta have all been the subject of antitrust investigations in recent years.

The oversight is expected to intensify. In March, policymakers reached an agreement on a new law, the Digital Markets Act, to stop the largest tech platforms from using their services and wealth to box in users and undermine competitors. Another law, the Digital Services Act, puts more pressure on social media companies to clean up their platforms.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/14/business/amazon-europe-antitrust.html