The Federal Trade Commission and 22 state attorneys general filed suit against Amazon on August 31, 2026, accusing the company of secretly inflating prices in its online search advertising auctions.
The complaint alleges that Amazon concealed surcharges from businesses buying ads on its platform, causing auction prices to rise without the buyers' knowledge. TechCrunch identified those businesses as the primary affected parties.
The FTC characterized the conduct as deceptive and unfair business practices.