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The Federal Trade Commission is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) later this month.
Members of Amazon’s (AMZN) legal team had a video call with the FTC last month in an effort to avert a lawsuit, according to a WSJ report on Tuesday, which cited people familiar with the matter. Amazon’s lawyers didn’t offer any concessions in the meeting to try to persuade the regulator to refrain from filing a lawsuit.
The lawsuit is expected to focus on some of Amazon’s business practices, such as its Fulfillment by Amazon logistics program and pricing on Amazon.com by third-party sellers, the WSJ said. The suit is expected to recommend that Amazon (AMZN) make “structural remedies” that may include breaking up the e-commerce giant.
Amazon (AMZN) didn’t immediately respond to Seeking Alpha email request after normal business hours.
The latest update on a potential FTC lawsuit comes after Reuters reported early last month that Amazon (AMZN) was expected to meet with the FTC ahead of a potential antitrust lawsuit against the retailer. The retailer has been criticized for favoring its own products over those of outside sellers on its platform.
Politico in late July said the FTC was “finalizing” a lawsuit against the e-commerce giant.
In June, the FTC sued Amazon (AMZN), accusing it of enrolling millions of consumers in its paid subscription service without consent and making it hard to cancel. Amazon called the FTC’s claims “false on the facts and the law.”
In May, the FTC settled with Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera unit for $5.8 million after the agency said cameras had been used for spying on some customers.
