Amazon has said it will appeal a ruling by an Italian court that reduced a hefty antitrust fine imposed on the company, maintaining that it should not have been fined at all. The United States e commerce giant disclosed its position on Wednesday, signalling that the long running legal battle with Italian competition authorities is far from over.
Earlier this week, Italy’s antitrust regulator announced it had cut the fine imposed on Amazon in 2021 to 752.4 million euros, down from the original 1.13 billion euros. The penalty was initially handed down over allegations that Amazon abused its dominant position by restricting competition in the market for e commerce logistics services in Italy. The reduction followed a ruling by a regional administrative court last September.
In a statement sent to Reuters, Amazon reiterated its strong opposition to the regulator’s findings, saying it fundamentally disagrees with the decision of the Italian Competition Authority and intends to defend its position throughout the appeal process. The company has consistently argued that its business practices do not harm competition and that the fine is unjustified.
Italian financial daily MF was the first to report Amazon’s decision to pursue further legal action. The newspaper also reported that Italy’s antitrust authority plans to appeal the court ruling that led to the reduction of the fine, setting the stage for another round of legal confrontation between the regulator and the tech giant.
The case is one of several antitrust challenges facing major global technology companies in Europe, as regulators continue to tighten scrutiny over market dominance and competition practices, particularly in digital and e commerce related services.