California says Amazon ruined online shopping, sues it for driving up prices
Enlarge (credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg)
Amazon is again under fire for its policies allegedly forbidding its online retailers from selling their products for lower prices on other websites and retail platforms. Critics say this has led to years of higher prices for consumers instead of allowing markets to determine fair prices.
Last year, the District of Columbia sued Amazon for the same reason and lost in court in March 2022. But then in April, the Department of Justice issued a statement in support of DC's case, and shortly after, DC filed to appeal this August. Now, California attorney general Rob Bonta has piled on more pressure, announcing a lawsuit against Amazon for allegedly blocking price competition in California, too.
Previously, an Amazon spokesperson told Politico, regarding the DC lawsuit, that "sellers set their own prices for the products they offer in our store." The spokesperson suggested that without Amazon's commitment to highlighting competitively priced items above others, prices in the market would go up, not decrease as critics suggest.