How does Amazon monopolize to be fined nearly $ 1.3 billion?

Amazon and many large technology corporations are under increasingly strict management from the government

On December 9, Italy’s antitrust authority (AGCM) fined US e-commerce giant Amazon 1.13 billion euros ($1.28 billion) for abusing its monopoly position in the market. ecommerce.

This is one of the highest penalties imposed on an American technology company in Europe.

AGCM’s conclusion is that Amazon uses its dominant position in the market to encourage sellers on amazon.it to use Amazon’s own Fulfillment (FBA) logistics service. This “harms” the logistics of competing businesses and strengthens Amazon’s dominant position.

The AGCM also announced that it would impose a high penalty because it considers Amazon’s actions “particularly severe” given the timescale and effects.

In addition to the fine, AGCM also requires Amazon to grant the privileges enjoyed by FBA sellers to all 3rd party sellers, as long as the partner respects regulations and laws. Amazon will have to publish these standards within a year, and the process is overseen by a trustee agency.

Amazon objected to this fine and said it would appeal. A spokesman for the US corporation said the fine and the proposed remedies were unreasonable and inappropriate.

Investors fear that the Italian authorities’ heavy fines for Amazon could mark a trend of tightening control over other businesses of this group in many parts of the world.

Earlier in November, Italy also fined Amazon and Apple 228 million USD for related to an agreement that these two companies signed in 2018. This cooperation led to a situation where only Amazon and a select few parties were new. may sell Apple and Beats products, limiting the number of retailers and cross-border sales.

The European Union (EU) also fined Amazon a record $888 million for violating the bloc’s data privacy laws.

Recently, large US technology companies have been continuously closely monitored and investigated exclusively in Europe. The EU also opened an antitrust investigation into Apple’s App Store rules regarding commissions related to in-app purchases.

The trend of the government “stretching” with technology corporations and e-commerce in particular also occurs globally. In Asia, e-commerce giant Alibaba is also being tightened by Chinese authorities. In Latin America, regulators are targeting Mercado Libre, the leading e-commerce company in the region from Argentina.