Amazon Breached EU Antitrust Rules, European Commission Says

The European Commission has published its preliminary view on Amazon’s antitrust case, and the conclusion is as simple as it could be: the company breached EU antitrust rules. In its statement of objections, the Commission notes that Amazon has a dual role as a platform, as it sells not only its own products but also provides partners, which are pretty much independent sellers, with the option of selling their own goods on Amazon.com. But while other companies can thus list their products on Amazon’s website, the American giant also gets access to plenty of information that it shouldn’t otherwise access and which eventually allows it to make strategic business decisions that would help it favor its goods. For example, Amazon can access third-party data like the number of ordered and shipped units, independent sellers’ revenue, shipping data, consumer claims, warranties, and so much more. “The Commission's preliminary findings show that very large quantities of no...