It’s been a long, contentious saga, but in the end… Amazon decided to play fair.
The tech behemoth agreed to implement a series of changes to its “anti-competitive business practices” to avoid hefty fines from the European Commision.
Good call, Amazon: The EU first threatened to sanction Amazon for using non-public user data to gain competitive advantage for its own retail business.
Later on, it opened a second investigation, claiming Amazon was pushing its own “buy box” and “Prime” logistics service over third-party carriers.
How big of a fine are we talking? About 10% of the platform’s entire annual revenue. So yeah, a lot.
What’s changing: Amazon agreed to two major amends…
- To no longer use non-public seller data to benefit its own business.
- To establish non-discriminatory conditions and criteria for its logistic services, and to allow Prime sellers the freedom to choose any carrier.
Why we care: This is a big win for Amazon retailers. They’ll finally be able to play on a more level field while having more freedom of choice when it comes to fulfillment.
That’s the kind of news you want to hear at the end of the year!
Alex Lim
Alex Lim is a certified book reviewer and editor with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has reviewed hundreds of books for reputable magazines and websites, such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Goodreads. Alex has a master’s degree in comparative literature from Harvard University and a PhD in literary criticism from Oxford University. He is also the author of several acclaimed books on literary theory and analysis, such as The Art of Reading and How to Write a Book Review. Alex lives in London, England with his wife and two children. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook
