A thorough investigation by the EU in the next few months could lead to consequences for Amazon that are, at best, expensive in the short term or, at worst, restrictive in the long term. Last July, European authorities demonstrated that they take antitrust issues seriously when they hit Google with a whopping $5.1 billion fine and regulations to loosen the company’s grip over its Android software. While Amazon has the resources to handle a fine if it is given one, a potentially worse punishment would be restrictive regulations on Amazon’s use of its power. For example, if Amazon uses sales data from other sellers to determine which categories to target with private labels, regulations restricting this practice would diminish the e-tailer’s competitive advantage.
The bigger picture: Amazon’s unique position of power and the way it wields that power are creating antitrust skepticism in the EU and elsewhere.
Read More.. Source Business Insider