Berlin just handed Amazon a €70 million fine and ordered the e-commerce giant to stop policing third-party sellers' prices - a practice that German regulators say violates competition law and harms consumers.
The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's federal competition authority, found that Amazon systematically pressured marketplace sellers to match or beat their lowest prices on other platforms. Sellers who listed products cheaper elsewhere - say, on their own websites or on rival platforms - faced punishment: suppressed search rankings, suspended buy box eligibility, or outright account termination.
Translation: Amazon told sellers "give us your best price or we'll bury you." That's textbook anticompetitive behavior, and Germany isn't having it.
"Amazon used its market dominance to dictate pricing across the entire e-commerce ecosystem," said Andreas Mundt, president of the Bundeskartellamt. "This harms both sellers and consumers, despite Amazon's claims otherwise."
The €70 million fine is significant, but the real blow to Amazon is the cease-and-desist order. The company must dismantle its price-parity enforcement mechanisms across Germany - and likely across the EU, since Brussels competition law works similarly.
This strikes at the heart of Amazon's marketplace business model. The company has long argued that its pricing requirements ensure "competitive prices for customers" and prevent sellers from using Amazon as a showroom while directing sales elsewhere.
But regulators see it differently: Amazon leveraged its gatekeeper position to suppress competition and prevent sellers from offering better deals directly to consumers. That's precisely the kind of platform power abuse the EU's Digital Markets Act was designed to stop.
Amazon said it "disagrees with the decision" and is "reviewing all options" - corporate-speak for "we're appealing this." But legal experts say Germany's case is strong, backed by years of seller complaints and internal Amazon documents showing explicit price-monitoring and enforcement.
The ruling comes as European regulators increasingly target Amazon's business practices. France fined the company €4 million last year for similar issues. The European Commission has two ongoing investigations into Amazon's dual role as marketplace operator and competitor to its own sellers.
"Platform regulation is no longer theoretical in Europe," said Cristina Caffarra, a competition economist who has advised EU regulators. "Germany is showing what enforcement looks like - real fines, real behavioral changes required."
For Amazon sellers, the ruling is potentially liberating. They'll be free to offer better prices on their own websites or other platforms without fear of Amazon retaliation. For consumers, it could mean more price competition - though whether savings materialize depends on seller behavior.
The bigger story is institutional: Germany is leading where Brussels has been slow. The Bundeskartellamt has become Europe's most aggressive tech regulator, repeatedly moving first on platform abuse cases.
Brussels decides more than you think - but sometimes Berlin decides first. This €70 million fine is a warning shot to every platform that thinks it can dictate terms to its ecosystem. Europe is watching, and Europe is finally enforcing.
