FTC, states sue Amazon over alleged secret ad surcharge
By The BriefBrief
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit alleging Amazon used a “secret ad surcharge” to raise prices for ads on its website and app. FTC chair Andrew Ferguson said the higher advertising prices were largely passed on to American consumers.
WHO:Federal Trade Commission and 22 state attorneys general; Andrew Ferguson
WHAT:FTC and state attorneys general sued Amazon alleging it used a “secret ad surcharge” to increase ad prices; Ferguson said the higher prices were largely passed to consumers.
WHEN:Reported Aug 31, 2026 at 5:41 PM ET
WHERE:USA
WHY:The lawsuit challenges Amazon’s alleged use of a “secret ad surcharge” that increased advertising prices for ads on its website and app.
How this story developed (showing 2 of 2 earlier reports)
