Source: Andrew Martonik/Android Central
What you need to know
- Amazon is set to be charged by the EU over antitrust violations.
- It's expected to take a year for the commission to decide if Amazon has breached antitrust laws, or not.
- The company could be fined up to 10% of its annual revenue if found guilty.
Amazon is set to face new antitrust charges by the European Commission, as per a new report by the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal reports:
The charges could be officially filed as early as next week or the week after, one of the people said. The European Commission, the bloc's top antitrust regulator, has been honing its case, and the case team has been circulating a draft of the charge sheet for a couple of months, another person said.
The formal charges would be the commission's latest step in a nearly two-year probe into Amazon's alleged mistreatment of sellers that use its platform. The charges—called a statement of objections—stem from Amazon's dual role as a marketplace operator and a seller of its own products, the people said. In them, the EU accuses Amazon of scooping up data from third-party sellers and using that information to compete against them, for instance by launching similar products.
Even if Amazon is charged, the Journal notes that it would take an additional year before the Commission will rule on whether Amazon did breach antitrust laws or not. If found to have breached those laws, it could be fined up to 10% of its annual revenue and forced to change the way it did business.
The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Amazon used data from competing third-party sellers when it was developing its own products, despite claiming that it didn't when questioned by the U.S. Congress.
It had also fallen under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice last year, who has also been investigating it to see whether it has abused its power for market dominance.
The Justice Department is likely to file antitrust charges against Google
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

The iOttie Aivo Connect is a surprisingly useful mobile Alexa platform
Unless you have a fancy ride with a built-in phone charger, you probably need a good car phone mount or docking solution. One that can charge your phone wirelessly? Even better. One that you can use to control your phone hands-free via Amazon's Alexa? Even better-er! That's what the iOttie Aivo Connect promises, but does it deliver?

Every game with touch controls on Xbox Game Pass (xCloud) for Android
Microsoft is offering over 150 games through cloud streaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. While all can be played with controllers, only a handful right now support touch controls.

The first renders of the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE reveal a familiar design
The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to receive an early launch this year, and the first renders show a design that's not too far off from Samsung's current flagships.

Pump up the volume on your Galaxy S21 with these wireless earbuds
If you're looking for the best wireless earbuds for your Galaxy S21, we have you covered. From budget options that start off at just $30 to high-end wireless earbuds that set a new standard for the industry, we've rounded up the best wireless earbuds for the Galaxy S21.