Amazon Boss Jeff Bezos may finally testify before Congress
E-commerce behemoth Amazon has confirmed that its founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, is ready to testify before a US Congressional panel this July. The committee is investigating potential violations of US antitrust laws by big tech companies and is expected to grill Bezos over Amazon's competitive practices in connection to the matter. Here's all you need to know about it.
Letter confirming willingness to testify
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Amazon's attorney Robert Kelner said that the company is ready to comply with the requirements of the months-long antitrust inquiry. "[Amazon is] committed to cooperating with inquiry and will make the appropriate executive available to testify," the letter said. "This includes making Jeff Bezos available to testify at a hearing with the other CEOs this summer."
Questions over Amazon's competitive practices possible
In the hearing, the lawmakers are expected to question Bezos over the company's competitive practices, including the allegation of using third-party seller data to design, price, and promote its in-house products. However, Amazon has denied this claim, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal, saying that it does not use seller data to compete with them.
Bezos has been resisting calls to testify
If Bezos ends up testifying, this will be his first appearance before Congress. Last month, Amazon resisted calls for him to testify, saying it would send an 'appropriate executive' to answer the panel's questions. However, in the latest letter, which came after the committee threatened to subpoena Bezos, the company implied other executives were "better suited" for testimony but Bezos will also be available.
Here's what Amazon said to imply suitability of other executives
"It bears emphasizing that other senior executives now run the businesses that are the actual subject of the Committee's investigation," the lawyer representing Amazon wrote in the letter.
Other big tech CEOs invited for the inquiry
Along with Bezos, other big tech CEOs who have been invited to testify are Apple's Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, and Google's Sundar Pichai. These three conglomerates are also being investigated over violations of antitrust laws by the House Judiciary Committee panel and the Justice Department. The FTC is investigating Facebook and Amazon, while the US state attorneys general are probing Facebook and Google.
Testimony from CEOs essential for the investigation
David Cicilline, chair of the antitrust panel, stated that the CEOs' testimony is "essential to complete this bipartisan investigation into the state of competition in the digital marketplace" and their antitrust subcommittee will use all available tools "to ensure we gather whatever information is necessary."
