The FTC says Amazon has been quietly charging advertisers more than they agreed to pay.
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by attorneys general from 22 states, filed a new lawsuit against Amazon accusing the company of running what regulators call a secret ad surcharge scheme. The complaint alleges Amazon tacked extra costs onto advertising bills that businesses did not agree to pay. The filing does not include a proposed penalty or settlement figure. Amazon has not yet issued a public response covered in the source reporting.
The timing matters more than the mechanics here. This is the same agency that sued Amazon in 2023 over how hard it made canceling a Prime subscription, and advertising is now one of the company's biggest profit engines - a business built largely on sellers who have little choice but to buy in if they want visibility on the platform. A hidden-fee allegation targeting that business line hits where Amazon can least afford bad headlines.
Twenty-two states signing on also signals this isn't a fringe complaint - it's a coordinated push, the kind regulators use when they think a case has legs beyond federal court alone.