Federal Judge Sets October 2026 Date For FTC's Antitrust Trial Against Amazon

(RTTNews) - A U.S. federal judge has scheduled a trial date for October 2026 for a Federal Trade Commission antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com (AMZN), according to Reuters.

The lawsuit, filed by the agency on September 26, accuses the online retailer of maintaining an illegal monopoly. Joined by 17 state attorneys general, the lawsuit was filed in federal court in Seattle after a four-year investigation.

FTC in a statement claims that Amazon "is a monopolist that uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power."

"Amazon's actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon," the agency says.

The FTC requested U.S. District Judge John Chun to issue a permanent injunction ordering Amazon to cease what it deems as unlawful conduct. In antitrust cases, potential remedies could include mandating a company to divest a portion of its business.

Responding to the suit, in December, Amazon asked the court to dismiss the suit, claiming that the FTC confused normal retail practices with anticompetitive actions.

Last week, the FTC urged Chun to deny Amazon's request, asserting that the government has outlined how Amazon operates as a monopolist and unlawfully maintains its dominance, benefiting itself at the expense of customers.