Amazon Under EU Antitrust Fire Over Use of Merchant Data

Amazon's use of merchants' data triggered an EU antitrust investigation on Wednesday, as regulatory concerns mount around the world on how tech giants exploit customer information to reinforce their market power.

US tech firms Amazon, Google, and Facebook have been in the regulatory spotlight as antitrust enforcers examine how they use data to shut out rivals. Some US politicians and even one of Facebook's co-founders have called for them to be broken up.

The European Commission has been seeking feedback from retailers and manufacturers since September into Amazon's dual role as a marketplace for merchants and as a competitor, following complaints from traders about Amazon's practices.