The wide-ranging lawsuit is expected as soon as August and will
likely challenge a host of Amazon's business practices, the report said, citing
people with knowledge of the matter.
The complaint could focus on challenges to Amazon Prime,
Amazon rules that the FTC says block lower prices on competing websites, and
policies it believes force merchants to use Amazon's logistics and advertising
services, the report said.
The commission has interviewed dozens of witnesses both
inside and outside Amazon, including CEO Andy Jassy and former CEO and founder
Jeff Bezos, the report said, adding that it is likely to file its case in
federal court rather than its in-house tribunal.
Politico did not mention the exact details of the final
lawsuit but said personnel throughout the agency, including FTC Chair Lina
Khan, have homed in on several of Amazon's business practices.
The e-commerce giant's digital advertising business and
Amazon Prime will likely be targeted, the report said, adding that the FTC is
also expected to claim that Amazon steers sellers to its own logistics services
by rewarding them with better placement on the site, and punishing them when
they don't.
The FTC and Amazon declined to comment when contacted by
Reuters.
Shares of the e-commerce giant were down nearly 2 percent in
after-market trading.
Last month, the FTC accused Amazon of enrolling millions of
consumers into its paid subscription Amazon Prime service without their consent
and making it hard for them to cancel. © Reuters