Such data has become quite valuable in the marketplace, aiding the rise of data brokers and analytics firms that collect, share, aggregate and analyze data for insights they can provide to businesses, investors or others. These proposed acquisitions have drawn the scrutiny of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which following President Biden’s 2021 Executive Order on antitrust and competition, has taken a more aggressive stance toward acquisitions by large technology companies in an effort to, in FTC Chair Lina Khan’s words, “prevent incumbents from unlawfully capturing control over emerging markets.”īeyond antitrust issues, Amazon’s recent acquisition decisions bring the discussion of the collection of consumer information and its secondary uses, specifically location and health data (which we have previously written about), to the forefront, yet again. The European Commission last month also said it sees potential antitrust problems with voice assistants and the data they allow Amazon and others to collect on user behavior.Roughly two weeks apart, on Jand August 5, 2022, respectively, Amazon made headlines for agreeing to acquire One Medical, “a human-centered and technology-powered primary care organization,” for approximately $3.9 billion and iRobot, a global consumer robot company, known for its creation of the Roomba vacuum, for approximately $1.7 billion. is also examining similar issues to the EU. Germany has multiple probes into Amazon’s sales. Amazon is being probed by the EU over its use of data from sellers on its platform and whether it unfairly favors its own products. The privacy probe also adds to intense antitrust scrutiny of Amazon’s business in Europe. Some lawmakers and regulators have raised concerns that the company has used what it knows to give itself an unfair advantage in the marketplace. The company says it collects data to improve the customer experience, and sets guidelines governing what employees can do with it. Amazon has its EU base in Luxembourg, which puts the local regulator in charge of monitoring its data protection law compliance.Īmazon has drawn scrutiny in recent years for the vast trove of data it has amassed on a range of customers and partners, including independent merchants who sell on its retail marketplace, users of its Alexa digital assistant, and shoppers whose browsing and purchase history inform what Amazon shows them on its website. Local laws bind the Luxembourg authority to professional secrecy and prevent it from commenting on individual cases, or confirming receipt of a complaint. The biggest fine to date was a 50 million-euro penalty for Google issued by France’s CNIL.ĬNPD didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. It allows watchdogs for the first time to levy fines of as much as 4% of a company’s annual global sales. “It’s a first step to see a fine that’s dissuasive, but we need to remain vigilant and see if the decision also includes an injunction to correct the infringing behavior,” said Bastien Le Querrec, a member of La Quadrature’s litigation team, adding the group hadn’t received the decision.ĮU data protection regulators’ powers have increased significantly since the bloc’s GDPR rules took effect in May 2018. The decision concludes a probe started by a 2018 complaint from French privacy rights group La Quadrature du Net. We strongly disagree with the CNPD’s ruling.” “There has been no data breach, and no customer data has been exposed to any third party,” Amazon said in a statement, adding that it plans to appeal. Amazon disclosed the findings in a regulatory filing on Friday, saying the decision is “without merit.” faces the biggest ever European Union privacy fine after its lead privacy watchdog hit it with a 746 million-euro ($888 million) penalty for violating the bloc’s tough data protection rules.ĬNPD, the Luxembourg data protection authority slapped Amazon with the record fine in a July 16 decision that accused the online retailer of processing personal data in violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Article from Bloomberg by Stephanie BODONI (Dated 30 July 2021)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |