After making concessions to address concerns over the use of seller data, US retail giant Amazon may be able to settle two EU antitrust probes by the end of the year, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
If it manages to conclude the probes, Amazon escapes a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual global revenue.
In response to accusations of abuse of power to promote products and obtain an unfair advantage over competitors, Amazon offered to stop using seller data for its private label products and its own competing retail business in July.
Following a discussion with clients and competitors, the European Commission concluded that the initial concession required significant improvement.
A person familiar with the matter recently told Reuters that Amazon has increased the range of data which it cannot use, adding that “it’s possible that an EU decision will come by the end of the year”.
The European Commission declined Reuters’ request for comment. Amazon responded by reinforcing that it had engaged constructively with the Commission to address their concerns.
Concerns
Having suggested two solutions to EU concerns, Amazon is one step closer to concluding investigations into how it uses seller data and whether it unfairly favours its own products.
Aside from limiting the range of data it processes, Amazon suggested creating a second ‘buy box’ for rival products that substantially differ in price and delivery from the products in its existing buy box.
The buy box, which uses an algorithm to determine products recommended to users, is one of the reasons for the EU’s concerns. Amazon is accused of favouring its own products and the products of partners over the products of competitors.
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