The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Wednesday that it will not seek a delay in its upcoming trial against Amazon, clarifying an earlier statement about resource shortages that suggested a potential postponement.
The FTC’s attorney, Jonathan Cohen, retracted his earlier comments, assuring U.S. District Judge John Chun in Seattle that the agency is fully prepared to proceed with the case as scheduled.
Cohen, initially citing cost-cutting measures as a reason for possible delays, clarified that the FTC has sufficient resources to handle the case. “The Commission does not have resource constraints, and we are fully prepared to litigate this case,” Cohen wrote in a statement to the court.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment, emphasizing that the FTC will not back down in its consumer protection efforts, particularly in its case against Amazon. “Since Day One, I’ve made it clear that we will commit the resources necessary for this case. The Trump-Vance FTC will never back down from taking on Big Tech,” Ferguson said.
The case revolves around Amazon’s alleged use of “dark patterns” – deceptive user-interface designs that trick consumers into enrolling in automatically renewing Prime subscriptions.
This lawsuit, filed in 2023, claims damages of at least $1 billion, with Amazon denying any wrongdoing. Additionally, three senior Amazon executives are named as defendants in the case.
While the FTC had initially raised concerns about a “dire resource situation” earlier this week, Cohen confirmed that the agency has no plans to seek an extension.
Although staffing challenges have been noted, including resignations and a hiring freeze, the FTC remains confident in its ability to meet the court’s deadlines.
Cohen had previously cited other federal agencies’ budget cuts and resource limitations, but clarified that the FTC’s ability to litigate is intact.
Amazon’s legal team, led by attorney John Hueston, has pushed for the trial to proceed as planned, stating that such delays are common in litigation and should not affect the trial’s outcome.
The trial, which is set to take place in Seattle in September, will be closely watched as it represents one of the FTC’s major actions in its ongoing scrutiny of Big Tech companies, particularly in the realm of consumer protection and anti-competitive practices.
The case, FTC v. Amazon, will be heard in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
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