Kiri Masters column on FTC Amazon ad auction case

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Ad tech’s regulatory clouds gather over Amazon, Google, and The Trade Desk

Early September brought a flurry of headlines involving three of ad tech’s biggest names at once. Digiday’s briefing ties the developments to shifting financial realities as AI becomes the default setting, not a selling point, across Madison Avenue.

Ad-tech amazon-ftc-case-exposes-ad-auction-opacity-as-industry-norm-not-outlier

Amazon-FTC case exposes ad auction opacity as industry norm, not outlier

Digiday’s Seb Joseph unpacks the FTC’s suit against Amazon’s search ad auctions, arguing the alleged opacity isn’t unique to Amazon but standard across programmatic marketplaces.

Sep 8

Ad-tech ftc-sues-amazon-over-alleged-secret-ad-auction-manipulation

FTC sues Amazon over alleged secret ad auction manipulation

The FTC and 22 state attorneys general allege Amazon secretly rigged its Sponsored Products second-price auctions since 2018, letting it collect about 20 billion dollars beyond fair auction outcomes. Amazon denies the claims and vows to fight in court.

Sep 4

Retail-media ftc-filing-accuses-amazon-of-tilting-its-own-ad-auctions

FTC filing accuses Amazon of tilting its own ad auctions

The FTC alleges Amazon has overcharged advertisers for years by putting a thumb on its ad auction mechanics, according to columnist Kiri Masters. She argues advertiser trust is damaged even though spending on the platform is unlikely to move.

Sep 3

Ad-tech ftc-22-states-sue-amazon-over-deceptive-ad-auction-pricing

FTC, 22 states sue Amazon over deceptive ad auction pricing

The FTC and 22 state attorneys general sued Amazon, alleging it secretly overrode its ad auction to charge higher rates, overcharging more than 1.2 million advertisers and generating over $20 billion in revenue since 2018.

Sep 1