Amazon Files Recusal Request Against FTC Chair, the 'Youngest Big Tech Critic'

"Due to Anti-Monopoly Tendencies, Objective Evaluation Is Difficult"

Lina Khan, Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Amazon has filed a recusal request against the head of the U.S. antitrust regulatory agency, who is dubbed the so-called 'Amazon Killer.'

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 30th (local time), Amazon stated, "FTC Chair Lina Khan has repeatedly accused Amazon of violating antitrust laws," and made this request.

The FTC, which is the equivalent of Korea's Fair Trade Commission, is currently reviewing Amazon's acquisition deal for Hollywood film studio MGM. In the U.S. administration, jurisdiction over antitrust laws is exercised by two departments: the Department of Justice and the FTC, with the FTC led by Chair Khan handling matters related to Amazon.

Amazon said, "We cannot expect Chair Khan to review matters related to Amazon with an open mind." Considering that she, known as the 'youngest big tech sniper,' has strongly criticized IT giants' platform dominance practices, objective scrutiny cannot be expected.

As an advocate of antitrust principles, Chair Khan has long focused on the monopoly issues of big tech companies. After graduating from Williams College in 2010, she began studying antitrust laws while working at the think tank New America Foundation.

Chair Khan gained prominence in 2017 when she presented her thesis titled 'Amazon's Antitrust Paradox' at Yale Law School. In her thesis, she pointed out that if big tech companies are not regulated simply because they sell goods cheaply, they will eventually dominate the retail market and monopolize the platform.

Last year, she participated in drafting a 449-page report criticizing Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google for abusing market dominance at the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee. This report became the basis for the House to introduce a regulatory package bill targeting IT companies.

On the 15th of last month, President Joe Biden made a bold move by appointing Chair Khan as head of the FTC. Following his March appointment of Tim Wu, a Columbia University professor who has criticized big tech companies, as the National Economic Council's special advisor on technology and competition policy, Biden's appointment of Chair Khan is analyzed as an effort to maximize pressure on big tech companies' monopolistic moves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.