ECJ overturns judgment

Amazon lawsuit against EU regulation thrown out

Amazon expressed its disappointment with the ruling.(Bild: APA/dpa)

Amazon has suffered a legal setback in the dispute over stricter regulation in the European Union (EU). On Wednesday, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed a lawsuit brought by the US online retailer against certain requirements under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The law classifies the US company as a very large online platform (VLOP) and obliges it to disclose detailed information about its internet advertising business, among other things.

Amazon had filed a lawsuit against this and applied for a suspension of this requirement until a decision was reached, which was initially granted by a lower court. However, the ECJ overturned this ruling.

The interests of the legislator prevail
It is true that the controversial DSA clause restricts Amazon's entrepreneurial freedom and the company is at risk of serious damage until a ruling is made in the main proceedings. However, the interests of the legislator prevail in this specific case. "A suspension would lead to a possible delay of several years in the full realization of the objectives of the Regulation on a single market for digital services and thus possibly allow the continuation or development of an online environment that threatens fundamental rights."

Amazon expressed its disappointment with the ruling. It also reiterated its assessment that it does not fall under the definition of a VLOP.