Brussels, 15 November 2023
Today, the European Commission formally sent Amazon a request for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission is requesting Amazon to provide more information on the measures it has taken to comply with obligations related to risk assessments and mitigation measures to protect consumers online, in particular with regard to the dissemination of illegal products and the protection of fundamental rights, as well as on compliance of recommender systems with the relevant provisions of the DSA.
Amazon must provide the requested information to the Commission by 6 December 2023. Based on the assessment of Amazon’s replies, the Commission will assess next steps. This could entail the formal opening of proceedings pursuant to Article 66 of the DSA.
Pursuant to Article 74 (2) of the DSA, the Commission can impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to a request for information. In case of failure to reply by Amazon, the Commission may decide to request the information by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments.
Following its designation as a Very Large Online Platform, Amazon is required to comply with the DSA, including the assessment and mitigation of risks related to the dissemination of illegal and harmful content and any negative effects on the exercise of fundamental rights.
Source – EU Commission