EU Opens Investigation Into Amazon's Use Of Data

(RTTNews) - EU antitrust regulators have started probing on how Amazon uses data about merchants.

The investigations is to find whether online platforms that sell their own products and also host third-party merchants are using data from rival retailers to gain any unfair advantage.

Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said her office had started gathering information on the issue, while cautioning that the probe was still at a very early stage.

"Do you then also use this data to do your own calculations, as to what is the new big thing, what is it that people want, what kind of offers do they like to receive, what makes them buy things?" she said at a news conference.

"We have no conclusions," she added. "We haven't formally opened a case, but we are trying to make sure that we get the full picture."

Earlier this year, Vestager had imposed a record $5 billion fine on Google for unfairly pushing its apps on smartphone users and thwarting competitors.