Amazon Sued by States and FTC for Secretly Inflating Advertising Prices

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has joined forces with 22 other states and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a lawsuit against Amazon. The complaint alleges that Amazon secretly raised prices in its online search advertising auctions, affecting over one million brands and sellers. This price increase is said to have lasted for more than seven years.

According to Hilgers, Amazon's alleged scheme involved imposing surcharges on over 500,000 small and medium-sized businesses without their knowledge or consent. The Attorney General claims that Amazon leadership knowingly provided false information about these price increases.