Amazon Emails Sellers To Watch Out For Congress’ Big Tech Antitrust Bills

Amazon is reaching out to third-party merchants to warn them that proposed antitrust reforms in Congress could limit their ability to hawk their wares on its marketplace.

Members of Amazon’s public policy team recently contacted a small number of third-party sellers with successful businesses on its marketplace about setting up meetings to discuss the legislation, according to an email viewed by CNBC.

“We’re reaching out to a small group of our sellers to make them aware of a package of legislative proposals, currently in Congress, that is aimed at regulating Amazon and other large technology companies,” the email stated. “It is early in the process and the bills are subject to change, but we are concerned that they could potentially have significant negative effects on small and medium-sized businesses like yours that sell in our store.”

Related: US Panel Approves Five Antitrust Bills So Far

The email asks sellers to arrange a phone meeting with a member of Amazon’s policy team for more information. It’s unclear what the policy team says to sellers on the call.

The email refers to a legislative package approved in June by the House Judiciary Committee aimed at overhauling US antitrust laws and attempts to reel in the power of Big Tech.

Amazon confirmed to CNBC it has reached out to select sellers about the antitrust legislation. The company stated it has received several inquiries from sellers over the past few months asking how the bills will affect them. Amazon did not respond to questions about what types of concerns sellers had raised about the bills.

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