FTC and 22 states sue Amazon over alleged secret ad surcharge scheme

·43 views

The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 22 state attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of secretly inflating advertising prices on its website and app. The complaint alleges Amazon manipulated its 'second price' ad auction system through an undisclosed surcharge, effectively making advertisers pay more than the rules indicated. FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson stated that the higher ad costs were largely passed on to American consumers. Amazon is accused of violating the FTC Act as well as more than a dozen state laws. This legal action follows Amazon's $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC nearly a year ago over its Prime subscription practices.

Read the full story at The Verge

This is an AI-generated summary. ShortSingh links to the original source for the complete article.

Discussion (0)

Documentary Mister Organ Draws Praise for Its Unsettling Portrait of a Harassment Campaign

Reviewer commentary describes the documentary Mister Organ as deeply unsettling, though not as horrifying as The Act of Killing or Beware the Slenderman. The film is directed by David Farrier, an Auckland-based journalist from New Zealand. It centers on Michael Organ and a personal campaign of intimidation aimed at people who cross his path. The story begins with Farrier's reporting on Bashford Antiques in Ponsonby, which was clamping cars and charging fees of up to $760 for their release. Farrier's coverage of the shop in The Spinoff reportedly prompted the government to move toward new legislation.

0 comments Read more at The Verge

TechnologyTechCrunch ·

Elizabeth Holmes Documentary 'You Can See Everything' Posts Second-Biggest Documentary Opening Weekend

The documentary 'You Can See Everything,' focused on Elizabeth Holmes, has recorded the second-largest opening weekend in history for a documentary film. The reported milestone places the film among the strongest debuts the genre has seen. The source article provides limited detail beyond this box-office result. Further specifics about the film's distribution, revenue figures, or production were not included in the available text.

0 comments Read more at TechCrunch

TechnologyThe Verge ·

Philadelphia woman arrested for blocking Uber delivery robot

Carolyn Marvin was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in Philadelphia after she stood in the path of an Uber delivery robot and would not move. She told ABC13 she was protesting the machines because she believes they are replacing human delivery workers. Police asked her to clear the robot's path, and when she refused, they handcuffed and arrested her. Video of the incident was recorded and has drawn considerable media attention. The robots have become an increasingly common sight on city streets.

0 comments Read more at The Verge

TechnologyTechCrunch ·

Disney to Hire Most of Character.AI's Staff After Startup's Bankruptcy Filing

Chatbot startup Character.AI filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, opening the door for many of its employees to join Disney. Former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand has recently taken on the role of Disney's first chief technology officer. The startup had previously stated that Disney agreed to purchase some of its assets for $20 million. The article's account is cut off at the point where it begins describing a legal matter, so details of that part are unavailable.

0 comments Read more at TechCrunch