The District of Columbia's antitrust case against Amazon, which claims that Amazon illegally drives up prices on rival platforms, is back after an appeals court revived the case on Thursday.
The DC Court of Appeals ruled that the allegations “plausibly suggest” that Amazon already has monopoly power over online marketplaces or is close to achieving it, and the company engages in anticompetitive practices by restricting third-party sellers from offering products on other online stores, including their own websites, for less than they charge on Amazon, effectively controlling the price of goods outside of its own platform.
Former DC Attorney General Karl Racine initially filed the lawsuit in 2021, but it was tossed out of court in 2022. However now it's back under a new Attorney General.
Amazon disagrees with court's decision to bring back the case. Amazon spokesperson, Tim Doyle, said in a statement to The Verge:
“Just like any store owner who wouldn’t want to promote a bad deal to their customers, we don’t highlight or promote offers that are not competitively priced. It’s part of our commitment to featuring low prices to earn and maintain customer trust, which we believe is the right decision for both consumers and sellers in the long run.”
Amazon is currently fighting another antitrust case from the FTC, which claims that its monopoly power stifles competition and harms consumers.
In July, I reported (story #4) that certain Amazon sellers lost their Buy Box status ahead of Prime Day after the company's algorithms found their items being sold for less on Target's website during its Target Circle Week promo.