Amazon launches first U.S. challenge to EU content rules and says it would be 'unfairly singled out'

Amazon is warring its inclusion successful the European Union's database of companies that are taxable to landmark online contented rules, marking the archetypal U.S. situation to the projected legislation.

The e-retailer connected Tuesday filed a petition successful Luxembourg's General Court arguing it should not beryllium designated arsenic 1 of the 17 "very ample online platforms," oregon VLOPs, nether the European Commission's Digital Services Act, which imposes stricter rules astir policing amerciable worldly connected their platforms. Fellow U.S. tech giants Google, Meta and Apple are besides taxable to the rules.

Amazon disputed it being labeled a VLOP nether the DSA, saying the designation applies to companies with advertizing arsenic their superior gross and that administer code and information.

"The immense bulk of our gross comes from our retail business, we are not the largest retailer successful immoderate of the EU countries wherever we operate, and nary of these largest retailers successful each European state has been designated arsenic a VLOP," an Amazon spokesperson said successful a statement. "If the VLOP designation were to beryllium applied to Amazon and not to different ample retailers crossed the EU, Amazon would beryllium unfairly singled retired and forced to conscionable onerous administrative obligations that don't payment EU consumers."

A typical for the EC declined to comment.

The DSA, which was implemented past November, requires companies with much than 45 cardinal monthly progressive users to comply with a acceptable of rules astir policing hatred speech, disinformation and counterfeits connected their platforms. They indispensable taxable hazard assessments, and behaviour outer and autarkic auditing, among different compliance measures, oregon other they hazard facing fines arsenic overmuch arsenic 6% of their yearly revenue.

Last month, German online manner and manner retailer Zalando filed a suit contesting its designation arsenic a VLOP, arguing retail constitutes the bulk of its business.