German Regulators Challenge Amazon's Pricing Strategies

As reported by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO), Amazon might potentially be in violation of the nation’s competition regulations due too its pricing strategies that obscure certain sellers’ products. This preliminary evaluation, released on June 2, highlights how Amazon’s algorithms can push sellers down in search rankings and limit their advertising opportunities if their prices are deemed too high or “not competitive.”

The FCO criticized these pricing controls as being rooted in “non-transparent marketplace rules,” which they argue unfairly restrict sellers’ autonomy over their pricing decisions.

Andreas Mundt, the FCO President, pointed out that as Amazon is a direct competitor to many retailers on its platform, manipulating competitors’ prices—even through caps—raises significant concerns regarding fair competition.

In response to these findings, an Amazon spokesperson expressed strong disagreement with the FCO’s conclusions. They argued that altering the company’s pricing policies would ultimately harm both customers and selling partners.

This isn’t the first time Amazon has faced scrutiny for its practices; both European and American regulators have been keeping a close eye on them for years. In 2022, for instance, Amazon settled with EU authorities over claims it favored its own retail operations at the expense of independent sellers. Fast forward to 2023: a coalition of 17 states teamed up with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to sue Amazon for allegedly inflating prices while suppressing visibility for lower-priced alternatives offered by other vendors. The FTC lawsuit is set to go before a judge in late 2026.