FTC and State Attorneys General File Antitrust Case Against Amazon, Alleging Unlawful Use of Market Power to Harm Customers and Rivals.

The Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general have filed a much-anticipated antitrust case against Amazon, alleging the retailing giant has illegally used its market power to maintain higher prices, harming customers and rivals.

The complaint sets forth detailed allegations noting how Amazon is now exploiting its monopoly power to enrich itself while raising prices and degrading service for the tens of millions of American families who shop on its platform and the hundreds of thousands of businesses that rely on Amazon to reach them.

At a news conference ahead of the lawsuit announcement, FTC Chair Lina Khan said, “Our complaint lays out how Amazon has used a set of punitive and coercive tactics to unlawfully maintain its monopolies. There is immediate harm that is ongoing here. Shoppers are paying higher prices as a result, not just on Amazon but across the internet.”

The lawsuit seeks to hold Amazon accountable for its alleged anti-competitive practices, which have allowed the company to dominate the ecommerce market. The FTC is asking the court to order Amazon to stop using its market power to harm competition and to restore the competitive conditions that existed before the company’s anti-competitive conduct.

The FTC’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of antitrust actions taken against tech giants, including Google and Facebook, as the government seeks to rein in the power of the tech industry. The case is expected to be closely watched by antitrust experts and could have far-reaching implications for the tech industry.