FTC sues Amazon, accusing the ecommerce giant of misleading advertisers

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued Amazon , alleging the e-commerce giant "secretly and systematically overcharged" advertisers on its platform by manipulating its pricing and auction systems.

The lawsuit , which was joined by 22 state attorneys general, argues that Amazon may have reaped more than $20 billion from advertisers by using "hidden surcharges" dating back to a change to its auction rules that took effect in 2019.

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.