Germany’s Federal Cartel Office announced Monday that Amazon’s pricing rules for third-party sellers may breach national competition laws, raising new regulatory concerns for the e-commerce giant.
The regulator’s preliminary findings suggest that Amazon uses internal algorithmic tools to restrict how sellers price their products on its marketplace. If prices are deemed too high or not competitive enough, Amazon may demote the listings in search results, exclude them from advertising, or remove them from the buy box—the default purchase button used by most customers.
“Competition in online retail in Germany is largely determined by Amazon’s rules for the trading platform,” said Andreas Mundt, president of the Federal Cartel Office. “Since Amazon competes directly with other marketplace retailers on its platform, influencing competitors’ pricing, even in the form of price caps, is fundamentally questionable from a competition perspective.”
According to the regulator, Amazon’s algorithm flags prices it deems non-competitive and may suppress visibility accordingly. This system, they argue, could pressure sellers into aligning their pricing with Amazon’s expectations—potentially stifling independent pricing strategies.
In response, Amazon defended its system, stating that altering its pricing tools could harm customers. “If Amazon is prevented from helping people find competitively priced offers, it will lead to a bad shopping experience for them, as we’d need to promote uncompetitive or even abusive pricing in our store,” a spokesperson said.
Amazon now has the opportunity to submit feedback before the agency issues a final decision.
This isn’t Amazon’s first regulatory clash in Europe. In 2022, the company reached a settlement with European Union regulators over allegations that it misused third-party seller data and biased buy box placement. As part of the deal, Amazon agreed to display a second buy box for alternative offers with differing prices or delivery terms.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust suit in 2023 over Amazon’s pricing algorithm and other practices. That trial is scheduled for October 2026.
According to CNBC, the German case adds to mounting global scrutiny over Amazon’s dual role as platform operator and direct seller—raising deeper questions about marketplace fairness and algorithmic power in the digital economy.
