US: Amazon facing FTC antitrust probe over its marketplace

Amazon is reportedly facing a potential investigation of its marketplace by antitrust officials examining whether it’s using its influence to hurt competition.

According to Bloomberg, investigators with the Federal Trade Commission have started interviewing small businesses about how much revenue they make on Amazon versus other online marketplaces like Walmart or eBay.

Citing three merchants, the report claims multiple attorneys and an economist have been conducting interviews that last 90 minutes. Antitrust experts quoted by Bloomberg claim the length of the interviews and the people involved suggest a serious probe of Amazon’s business, reported Bloomberg.

A reported probe comes as tech giants such as Amazon face increased scrutiny from lawmakers over their business practices. In July, the Justice Department stated it was reviewing online platforms such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Twitter over possible anti-competitive and anti-consumer actions.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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