Today, NetChoice announced its opposition to the latest EU antitrust charges against Amazon. In these charges, the EU contends that Amazon has anticompetitive practices regarding how it allegedly uses data from smaller sellers for the company’s own benefit. These charges stand to help corporations, but fail to show consumer harm.
“The EU’s charges are nothing more than a thinly veiled shakedown of one of America’s leading tech businesses. This is an international trade barrier disguised as European antitrust action,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President of NetChoice. “Over the course of a long six-year investigation, the EU could only scrounge up the allegation that Amazon sells its own generic products, just like every other grocery store and retailer does.”
“The EU’s understanding of competition is backward: By selling its own products for more affordable prices, Amazon is actually increasing competition and benefiting consumers. The EU could end up forcing unneeded price increases amidst a global economic slowdown,” continued Szabo.
“Amazon is no different than every brick-and-mortar store it competes with. Its procompetitive practices ultimately benefit consumers, lower prices, and push the retail sector and digital marketplaces to innovate,” said Szabo.