Amazon Faces £900M UK Antitrust Class Action For Algorithm Abuse

Amazon.com, Inc AMZN faced a U.K. class-action lawsuit for allegedly using a “secretive and self-favoring algorithm” algorithm to abuse its dominant position in the online marketplace.
Amazon used the algorithm to ensure that the Buy Box nearly always features goods sold directly by Amazon itself or by third-party retailers who pay hefty storage and delivery fees to Amazon, Hausfeld alleged.
Amazon has breached competition law and caused millions of U.K. customers to pay higher prices for products sold on Amazon.co.uk and the Amazon mobile app by covering better-value deals.
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Julie Hunter, a longstanding consumer rights advocate, is seeking to represent the interests of tens of millions of Amazon users in the collective action, likely to be filed before the end of October.
The claim will seek damages from Amazon estimated in the region of £900 million.
The European Commission pursued two formal antitrust investigations into Amazon.
An investigation by Italy’s competition regulator concluded in December 2021 that Amazon had abused its dominant position by making certain benefits to third-party retailers conditional on their purchasing of its logistics service.
Amazon held $60.7 billion in cash and equivalents as of June 30.
Price Action: AMZN shares traded higher by 0.46% at $115.60 in the premarket on the last check Thursday.