Amazon is contesting its inclusion in a group of companies subject to the European Union’s strict online content rules, in a move that could lead other tech giants to follow suit.
The challenge at the Luxembourg-based General Court, the second highest in Europe, is the first for a Big Tech and comes two weeks after German online retailer Zalando sued the European Commission over the same matter.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which went into effect last year, 19 platforms and search engines were labeled very large online platforms (VLOPs) with over 45 million users.
A VLOP designation requires companies to do more to combat illegal online content, manage risk, conduct external and independent audits, and share data with authorities and researchers.
Amazon said it is not the largest retailer in any of the EU countries it operates in, that major rivals in those countries have not been designated as VLOPs, and asked the Tribunal to overturn its designation.
“Amazon does not fit this description of a ‘very large online platform’ under the DSA and therefore should not be designated as such,” an Amazon spokesperson said Tuesday.
“If the VLOP designation were applied to Amazon and not other major retailers across the EU, Amazon would be unfairly singled out and forced to fulfill onerous administrative obligations that do not benefit EU consumers.”
The EU executive branch said it took note of Amazon’s questioning and was defending its position in court.
“The scope of the DSA is very clear and is set to cover all platforms that expose their users to content, including the sale of products or services, that may be illegal,” said a Commission spokesperson.
Source: Terra
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