Core Viewpoint - The Federal Cartel Office of Germany has raised concerns that Amazon's pricing controls for third-party sellers may violate competition laws, potentially limiting product visibility and interfering with sellers' pricing freedom [2][3]. Group 1: Amazon's Pricing Mechanisms - Amazon's algorithms and statistical models set price caps for products, which can lead to demotion in search results or exclusion from the buy box for products deemed to have "too high" or "not competitive" prices [1][2]. - The Cartel Office indicated that Amazon's pricing practices could harm not only sellers but also deter other retailers from offering lower prices, thus affecting overall competition in the online retail market [3]. Group 2: Regulatory Responses - The Federal Cartel Office's preliminary assessment suggests that Amazon's influence over pricing on its platform is fundamentally questionable from a competition perspective, especially since Amazon competes with other retailers on its own marketplace [3]. - Amazon has the opportunity to respond to the Cartel Office's preliminary findings before a final decision is made [4]. Group 3: Previous and Ongoing Investigations - In 2022, Amazon reached a settlement with EU antitrust regulators regarding its use of seller data and buy box practices, agreeing to display a second buy box for competing offers in Europe [5]. - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also investigating Amazon's pricing algorithms as part of a broader antitrust lawsuit, with a trial scheduled for October 2026 [6].