British competition watchdog CMA is likely to launch an investigation into Amazon. The supervisor would have concerns about how the web store handles user data.
The CMA would also like to see how Amazon determines which of the providers of a product displayed in the so-called buy box. That is a white panel on the right side of the screen, which the consumer has to click on to place an item in the digital shopping cart.
According to the newspaper, Amazon may prefer traders who also use Amazon’s logistics services and delivery options. The CMA and Amazon refused to comment.
The supervisory review would be similar to that of the European Commission. Previously, the British left this kind of big business to the European authorities in Brussels, but this is no longer possible due to Brexit.
Brussels currently has two open investigations on Amazon practices. One is looking at how the company uses data to promote its own products at the expense of competitors and another looking at the criteria for the buy box.
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