FTC Sues Amazon Over Alleged $20 Billion Ad Overcharges Since 2019
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Aug 31
FTC Sues Amazon Over Alleged $20 Billion Ad Overcharges Since 2019
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Aug 31
Summary
22 state attorneys general joined the FTC's lawsuit, which says Amazon secretly manipulated ad pricing and auction systems to overcharge advertisers by more than $20 billion.
The complaint ties the alleged overcharges to a 2019 rule change and says hidden surcharges let Amazon systematically extract extra payments from advertisers on its platform.
Amazon disputes the claims, saying its auction systems saved advertisers $8 billion from 2021 to 2025 rather than inflating their costs.
The case adds to mounting antitrust and consumer-protection pressure on Amazon, with regulators arguing ad overcharges can ripple through to businesses and shoppers.