FTC and State Complaint Alleges Amazon Secretly Inflated Ad Auction Prices by Up to 250% During Prime Day and Black Friday
TLDR
A newly unredacted FTC and state complaint alleges Amazon secretly inflated ad auction prices by up to 250% during Prime Day and Black Friday.
The Federal Trade Commission and state officials allege in a newly unredacted complaint that Amazon secretly raised ad auction prices by as much as 250% during Prime Day and Black Friday, as first reported by Search Engine Journal. The filing adds detail to an existing lawsuit over the alleged auction surcharge.
How we got here: earlier coverage
- Oct 30Amazon's Q3 Ad Revenue Growth Slows After Prime Day Moved to June and NBA Content Dropped
Amazon's ad revenue growth slowed in Q3 because it moved Prime Day to June and had less NBA content, though AI agents have not yet disrupted the ad segment.
- Oct 18Amazon Ad Lab Releases Bidding Metrics for Sponsored Products Without Publishing Test Data
Amazon Ad Lab published guidance on bidding metrics for Sponsored Products but did not release underlying test data or results.
- Oct 7Marketers boost Amazon ad spending 15–40% ahead of Prime Big Deal Days despite economic headwinds
Media buyers are increasing Amazon ad spend 15–40% year-over-year ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, with expectations of continued growth into 2027.
- Sep 11FTC proposes enforcement policy requiring disclosure of personalized pricing practices and data use
The FTC proposed an enforcement policy requiring businesses to disclose when and how they use customer data to set personalized prices, distinguishing the practice from dynamic pricing and noting exceptions.