The European Commission has asked Amazon for further clarifications on various practices that may be in breach of the Digital Services Act. There is currently no formal investigation.

The European Commission has sent a request for information (Request for Information or RFI) sent to Amazon under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA contains rules that large online platforms must comply with. Amazon is classified as a so-called Very large online platformand that brings with it various obligations.

Transparency obligation

For example, Amazon needs to be transparent about its recommendation system, among other things. This should not be a black box that makes suggestions to users. For example, Amazon needs to specify which input point plays a role and which metadata is used in the systems. European users should also be given the opportunity to opt out of such algorithms.

In addition, the European Commission wants Amazon to share information about the design, development, deployment, testing and maintenance of the Amazon Stora Ad Library online interface. The EU wants documentation on how Amazon assesses the risks there. The company has until July 26 to respond to the Commission’s FRI. They will then study the information shared. If the Commission finds irregularities, it can open an investigation.

Since the DSA and DMA came into force, the European Commission has stepped up a gear. Meta, Microsoft and Apple have already become the target of several antitrust complaints due to these new rules.