Case file / Algorithmic price testing
Amazon
Project Nessie
The FTC alleges Amazon ran a secret pricing algorithm, internally codenamed Project Nessie, that raised prices to test whether competitors would follow, then held them high when they did, allegedly extracting more than a billion dollars from customers.
Status: Active litigation (FTC v. Amazon)
The alleged harm
- /Alleged extraction of more than a billion dollars from customers
- /Affected high-frequency purchases: household goods, electronics, books
- /Began in 2014; toggled on and off at least eight times through 2019
On the record
| FTC v. Amazon.com, Inc. (complaint) | Case No. 2:23-cv-01495, W.D. Washington | 26 Sept 2023 |
| Unredacted portions unsealed | Court order | 2 Nov 2023 |
| Order denying motion to dismiss | W.D. Washington | Oct 2024 |
Cite this page
Spyrou, Sotiris. "Amazon: Project Nessie." Grift, Inc. case files. https://griftinc.com/cases/amazon-project-nessie
This page reports on matters of public record. Claims described in those matters are allegations unless resolved by a court. Corrections and right of reply: hello@spspyrou.com.