The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon on Tuesday, alleging the e-commerce behemoth uses its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on other platforms, overcharge sellers, and stifle competition. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Western District of Washington, is the result of a years-long investigation into Amazon's businesses and one of the most significant legal challenges brought against the company in its nearly 30-year history, per the AP.
- "Amazon is a monopolist, and it is exploiting its monopolies in ways that leave shoppers and sellers paying more for worse services," FTC chief Lina Khan told reporters, per the Washington Post. The newspaper, which, like Amazon, is owned by Jeff Bezos, calls the lawsuit "a historic political test of one of the world's most influential companies—as well as the regulators who have promised for years to rein in its allegedly monopolistic practices."