The Italian antitrust authority had already imposed a sanction of 68.7 million euros in November to the US giant of the online distribution.
Le Monde with AFP
The guaranteeing authority of competition and markets (AGCM), Constivement of competition in Italy, has inflicted in Amazon, Thursday, December 9, a fine of more than € 1.128 billion for “abuse of dominant position” , for discriminating sellers who did not use his logistics department. “Amazon infringed competitor operators in the electronic commerce logistics department,” said the GATS in a statement.
The American online distribution giant had already imposed a sanction of 68.7 million euros in November, always on the part of the Italian policies, for breach of the rules of competition by having restricted the Access to the Amazon platform of some Apple products dealers. This behavior is all the more serious in the eyes of the Italian antitrust that “at least 70% of the purchases of consumer electronics in Italy” are made on Amazon.
Excluded from a “set Essential Benefits “
Thus, the dominant position of Amazon on the Italian market “allowed him to promote his own logistics department … with active sellers on the Amazon platform.It to the detriment of competing operators,” held the authority Italian Thursday. Sellers who do not use Amazon’s logistics service are excluded from a “set of key benefits to get visibility and better sales prospects,” she continues.
The countries of the European Union have multiplied in recent months the financial penalties against the US and Chinese digital heavyweights, in order to better regulate their activities. In November, a key committee of the European Parliament adopted a draft digital market regulation (Digital Markets Act) to better regulate the internet and put an end to the abuse of power of the giants of the sector.