The FTC and attorneys general from 22 states filed suit against Amazon, alleging the company secretly altered its ad-auction pricing after bids closed, extracting over $20 billion in extra charges from roughly 1.2 million advertisers since 2018. The complaint centers on a 'soft reserve' mechanism that reportedly raised final prices on Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display placements beyond the standard second-price model, with heavier markups during peak shopping periods like the holidays. Amazon has rejected the allegations, saying the government misunderstands how advertisers set bidding strategy.
The FTC and attorneys general from 22 states filed suit against Amazon, alleging the company has secretly overridden its own advertising auction results since 2019 to charge higher prices than advertisers actually won. The complaint says internal documents show Amazon applied hidden surcharges to Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads, extracting more than $20 billion from roughly 1.2 million advertisers.
Entrepreneur magazine, working with Statista, is collecting recommendations from founders, startup employees, investors and service providers about their favorite business tools and services across finance, legal, HR, marketing, product and tech support. The findings will be compiled into a ranking of the most valued startup resources, to be published in an upcoming issue of Entrepreneur magazine.
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by attorneys general from 22 states, has filed suit against Amazon alleging it secretly altered its ad auction system starting in 2019 to charge advertisers more than they were told. The complaint claims Amazon added an undisclosed 'soft reserve price' and even used a fictitious bidder to drive up costs, despite marketing its system as a fair second-price auction. Regulators estimate the practice may have extracted over $20 billion from advertisers since 2019.
Roborock is marking its 12th anniversary with a sitewide sale running through September 6, discounting robot vacuums and bundles by 25% to over 50%. The flagship Saros 20, which uses dual LiDAR navigation, leg-lifting chassis and carpet-adaptive suction, drops from $1,599.99 to $1,199.99. The sale also introduces the new pet-focused Qrevo 2 Pro to the U.S. market.
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of concealing surcharges within its advertising auctions for more than six years, allegedly extracting over $20 billion from advertisers who didn't know they were paying inflated rates. Internal documents cited in the suit reportedly show employees flagged the pricing tactic as risky for long-term trust even as it boosted short-term revenue. Amazon has pushed back, saying the suit misrepresents its ad auction mechanics and lacks evidence that consumers paid more as a result.
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 22 states, filed suit against Amazon on Monday alleging the company secretly inflated prices in its Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Display ad auctions for more than seven years. The complaint says Amazon told over 500,000 small and medium businesses they'd pay just a penny above the next-highest bid in a 'second-price' auction, but from 2019 quietly inserted a hidden 'soft reserve price' using a fabricated bidder to push winning advertisers to pay their full bid instead.
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 22 state attorneys general, filed suit against Amazon alleging it covertly altered its ad auction rules starting in 2019 to overcharge advertisers by more than $20 billion. The complaint targets Amazon's sponsored products, brand, and display ads, claiming the company misrepresented its 'second-price' auction system while quietly adding surcharges. Amazon has rejected the allegations, calling the lawsuit misguided and saying its auction changes actually saved advertisers billions.
ZDNET published a roundup of the ten products its readers bought most often over the past month, with phone cases making up a large share of the list. The list is compiled from actual reader purchase data through ZDNET's affiliate links rather than editorial rankings alone.
Apple's upcoming September 9 event is expected to bring new iPhones, Apple Watches, and other devices, which will likely push more than ten current products out of the lineup. Items rumored for discontinuation include the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods 4 models, Apple TV 4K, and both HomePod versions.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service recalled nearly 25,000 pounds of frozen Buffalo chicken rangoon and Benedetto's Buffalo chicken mozzarella sticks made by Boston-based Shanghai Ravioli Corporation. The products were flagged for carrying false inspection marks and were distributed to foodservice businesses in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Researchers measured billions to trillions of tiny airborne particles released when scented cleaning products are used indoors. The particle levels detected were comparable to the kind of pollution seen in urban smog conditions.
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