Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos faced pointed questions about the tech giant’s business practices — and had few, if any, answers.
In his first time before Congress on Wednesday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos faced pointed questions about his company’s business practices — and had few, if any, answers. At times seeming flustered or unprepared, Bezos demurred, deflected, and deferred questions from lawmakers, claiming he didn’t know specifics about the basic way in which his company works. If he were testifying on his own, he might have been forced to face intense scrutiny, but surrounded by his fellow Big Tech CEOs at Congress’ hearing, Bezos got off easy. Wednesday’s unfocused hearing gave the billionaire the perfect opportunity to skate by — and he took it. Bezos was called before the House Judiciary Committee after a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed Amazon was using third-party seller data to undercut its own sellers. Amazon reportedly used that information to create rival products to outperform its so-called partners. That flew in the face of previous testimony by an Amazon representative last year, who told Congress that Amazon wouldn’t use data to undermine its third-party sellers.
