Investigate Whether Amazon Lied to Congress, House Judiciary Asks DOJ
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Amazon executives lied to Congress during the committee’s probe of anticompetitive abuses by tech companies in digital markets. Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, released the following statement:
“Congress is making clear that tech giants like Amazon must be held to account for misleading the public about their anticompetitive business practices. At the outset of the Judiciary Committee’s 16-month investigation Amazon representatives stated under oath that the company does not collect data from third party sellers for use against them. Subsequent investigation by Congress and the press has cast doubt on that representation, leading Congress to take this rare action. The committee’s request underscores that Congress must pass legislation to displace Amazon’s gatekeeping role as the owner of the marketplace and a seller on the same platform. Public Citizen fully supports the committee’s action and calls on the Justice Department to thoroughly investigate the matter.”