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Germany fines Amazon €59 million after regulators found it was competing directly with the very sellers it hosts and capping their prices in the process, tilting the playing field.
The Bundeskartellamt said the company’s Fair Pricing Policy and algorithm-driven pricing rules give Amazon an unfair advantage, breaching both German and EU competition law. “Amazon competes directly with marketplace sellers and influences their prices, including through price caps, which is a problem for fair competition,” said Andreas Mundt, president of the watchdog.
Amazon hit back, saying the fine is “based on unique German rules” that conflict with EU consumer protections. Rocco Bräuniger, Amazon’s Germany head, argued the agency is effectively forcing the company to maintain uncompetitive prices.
The fine follows a preliminary warning in June 2025, after Amazon had the chance to respond. The company has been designated a “market heavyweight” in Germany since 2022, a status upheld by the Federal Court in 2024.
Regulators say this case highlights the scrutiny online marketplaces now face and signals that Amazon’s pricing power may come under even closer watch across Europe.
*Source: Politico
