House panel wants Bezos to testify in antitrust probe

Friday, May 1, 2020, Vol. 44, No. 18

WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers investigating the market dominance of Big Tech are asking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify to address possible misleading statements by the company on its competition practices.

In a letter to Bezos on Friday, leaders of the House Judiciary Committee are holding out the threat of a subpoena if he doesn't agree voluntarily to appear.

Amazon used sensitive information about sellers on its marketplace, their products and transactions to develop its own competing products, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. An Amazon executive denied such a practice in statements at a committee hearing last July, saying the company has a formal policy against it.

Amazon spokesmen had no immediate comment.