Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is poised to argue its case against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a meeting next week as the US regulator gears up to launch a much-anticipated antitrust lawsuit.
Having been investigated since Donald Trump’s tenure as president, Amazon faces allegations of favouring its own products over external sellers’ goods online.
Following the investigation, the FTC is expected to launch an antitrust lawsuit against the company, though next week’s meeting will see Amazon argue why this should not be done, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Amazon has been criticised for allegedly deciding which products to sell based on third-party data, prioritising its own products over those of independent sellers and requiring these same retailers to use company-owned logistics and delivery services.
Other accusations have claimed Amazon abuses its power by preventing rivals from advertising on the site and routinely undercutting their prices.
Amazon was sued by the FTC in June over supposedly signing customers up to its Prime service without their consent.
It also agreed to pay several settlements in May over the misuse of data from Amazon Ring doorbell and Alexa devices.