Amazon may face FTC lawsuit with billions in civil penalties — report

Kuldeep Jha

Wed, June 17, 2026 astatine 6:02 AM CDT 2 min read

Amazon could look ineligible enactment from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) successful a lawsuit that whitethorn exposure the institution to civilian penalties worthy billions of dollars, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.

The regulator has prepared a imaginable ailment against the institution arsenic portion of an ongoing investigation, radical acquainted with the substance told the publication.

The study added that respective authorities attorneys wide are besides involved.

According to those sources, the FTC could reason the substance arsenic aboriginal arsenic this summer, either by filing a suit oregon reaching a settlement.

Any last determination connected a colony oregon ineligible enactment would necessitate a ballot from the FTC's 2 Republican commissioners, Andrew Ferguson and Mark Meador.

Bloomberg reported that though the FTC faces limits connected its quality to unafraid fiscal penalties, the information of authorities authorities could sidestep immoderate of those constraints.

State user extortion and unfair contention laws tin licence regular fines moving into tens of thousands of dollars.

Spokespeople for some Amazon and the FTC declined to comment, the study said.

The investigation, which intensified past twelvemonth and is being handled by the FTC's user extortion division, is examining whether Amazon adequately explained the presumption and pricing of advertizing placements shown arsenic apical products successful searches connected its marketplace, Bloomberg previously reported.

The enquiry centres connected a important and expanding portion of Amazon's business.

In a institution filing, Amazon said its advertizing operations generated $68.6bn successful gross past year.

That fig covers hunt advertising, including sponsored listings connected the marketplace, alongside video advertizing and online show adverts shown elsewhere connected the internet.

Bloomberg had besides reported that, during the probe past year, the FTC requested accusation connected Amazon's advertizing auctions and whether the institution disclosed "reserve pricing" for immoderate hunt adverts — minimum terms thresholds advertisers indispensable conscionable earlier they are capable to acquisition an ad.

"Amazon whitethorn look FTC suit with billions successful civilian penalties — report" was primitively created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.