Court case

How the FTC's cases against Amazon unfolded

Name: FTC v. Amazon: Bench trial in the FTC monopolisation case set to begin before Judge John H. Chun
Start: 2027-03-29
Location: United States

The FTC and a group of states sued Amazon in September 2023, alleging that it illegally maintained monopoly power over online shoppers and sellers. That case survived a motion to dismiss and is set for a bench trial in March 2027. In a separate case filed in June 2023, the FTC alleged that Amazon enrolled people in Prime without consent, and Amazon settled it in September 2025 for 2.5 billion dollars without admitting wrongdoing.

🇺🇸 United States

21 June 2023 to today · 17 dated events · 19 sources

Where it stands now · as of 1 November 2026

The monopolisation case is pending, with Amazon's October 2026 motion for judgment before Judge Chun and a bench trial set for 29 March 2027. The Prime case was settled in September 2025 without an admission of wrongdoing, and refunds are being paid through April 2027.

Next date
29 March 2027 Bench trial in the FTC monopolisation case set to begin before Judge John H. Chun

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In 30 seconds: the turning points

21 Jun 2023 FTC sues Amazon over Prime enrolment and cancellation
26 Sep 2023 FTC and 17 states file monopolisation suit
30 Sep 2024 Judge largely denies Amazon's motion to dismiss
25 Sep 2025 Amazon agrees to pay 2.5 billion dollars to settle the Prime case

Stage

1. Filed

2. Motion to dismiss

3. Pretrial

4. Trial

5. Ruling

6. Remedies

7. Appeal

Timeline of events

Overview · 21 Jun 2023 to Oct 2026 · click a dot to jump

2023

21 Jun 2023

Turning point

Filing

FTC sues Amazon over Prime enrolment and cancellation

The FTC sued Amazon in the Western District of Washington under the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act. It alleged that Amazon used design tactics known as dark patterns to enrol consumers in Prime without consent and made cancelling difficult, the Associated Press reported.

“Amazon tricked and trapped people into recurring subscriptions without their consent”Lina Khan, FTC Chair, Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour)

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour)

26 Sep 2023

Turning point

Filing

FTC and 17 states file monopolisation suit

The FTC and 17 state attorneys general sued Amazon, alleging that it unlawfully maintained monopolies in an online superstore market and an online marketplace services market. They alleged that Amazon penalised sellers who offered lower prices elsewhere and tied Prime eligibility to use of its fulfilment service. The Commission vote was 3 to 0.

“Our complaint lays out how Amazon has used a set of punitive and coercive tactics to unlawfully maintain its monopolies,”Lina Khan, FTC Chair, US Federal Trade Commission

🇺🇸 Seattle, WashingtonUS Federal Trade Commission

2024

Feb 2024

Ruling

Monopolisation trial set for October 2026

After a scheduling conference on 8 February 2024, Judge John Chun issued an order setting trial for 13 October 2026, The Register reported. Amazon's motion to dismiss, filed in December 2023, was still pending.

🇺🇸 Seattle, WashingtonThe Register

30 Sep 2024

Turning point

Ruling

Judge largely denies Amazon's motion to dismiss

Judge Chun issued a sealed ruling granting Amazon's motion to dismiss only in part, Reuters and the Washington Post reported, both describing the ruling as issued on Monday in reports dated 1 and 2 October 2024. He also ordered that the case be tried in two parts, rejecting Amazon's request to hear liability and remedies evidence together, Reuters reported.

🇺🇸 Seattle, WashingtonReuters (via The Star)The Washington Post (via ABA Journal)

7 Oct 2024

Statement

Unsealed ruling lets all FTC claims proceed

The public version, unsealed one week after the sealed order, showed that all of the FTC's claims would proceed, including those about Fulfillment by Amazon, the Buy Box and the Project Nessie pricing algorithm, while parts of some state claims were dismissed, GeekWire reported. Amazon said the court had to assume the complaint's facts were true at this stage and that its practices benefit competition.

“We are pleased with the court's decision and look forward to moving this case forward.”Douglas Farrar, FTC spokesman, GeekWire

🇺🇸 Seattle, WashingtonGeekWire

2025

4 Jun 2025

Ruling

Trial moved to February 2027

Judge Chun granted the FTC's proposal to move the monopolisation trial to February 2027, MLex reported on the day of the order, 4 June 2025.

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

MLex

17 Sep 2025

Ruling

Court finds Amazon violated the online shoppers law at Prime checkout

In the Prime case, Judge Chun partly granted the FTC's motion for summary judgment, finding that Amazon violated the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act by showing Prime terms only after collecting payment information. He ruled that two executives could be held personally liable for violations proved at trial and left the cancellation claims for trial, Courthouse News and Bloomberg Law reported.

“no reasonable jury could find in favor of Amazon”Judge John H. Chun, Courthouse News Service

🇺🇸 Seattle, WashingtonBloomberg Law

Courthouse News Service

Sep 2025

Legal step

Prime trial begins in Seattle

The trial on the remaining Prime claims began in the week of the settlement and was expected to last about three weeks, according to the Associated Press and Courthouse News.

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

Associated Press (via Local10)

Courthouse News Service

25 Sep 2025

Turning point

Settlement

Amazon agrees to pay 2.5 billion dollars to settle the Prime case

Amazon agreed to a 1 billion dollar civil penalty and 1.5 billion dollars in refunds for an estimated 35 million consumers, and to change how it enrols and cancels Prime members. Amazon admitted no wrongdoing, the Associated Press reported. Executives Neil Lindsay and Jamil Ghani are named in the stipulated order, which the Commission approved 3 to 0.

“Today, we are putting billions of dollars back into Americans' pockets, and making sure Amazon never does this again.”FTC Chairman Ferguson, US Federal Trade Commission

$2.5 billion civil penalty and consumer refunds🇺🇸 Seattle, WashingtonUS Federal Trade Commission

Associated Press (via Local10)

Nov 2025

Money

Automatic Prime refunds begin

Amazon began sending automatic payments of up to 51 dollars to eligible Prime customers in November 2025, with further payments of up to 149 dollars possible, the FTC said.

US Federal Trade Commission

Dec 2025

Filing

Parties propose moving the monopolisation trial to March 2027

The FTC and Amazon jointly proposed moving the start of the bench trial from 9 February 2027 to 29 March 2027, MLex reported on 10 December 2025.

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

MLex

2026

Jan 2026

Filing

FTC and states seek sanctions over deleted meeting notes

The FTC and the states asked Judge Chun to impose spoliation sanctions, alleging that Amazon deliberately deleted raw notes of business meetings even after its duty to preserve documents began, MLex reported on 31 January 2026.

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

MLex

Apr 2026

Ruling

Judge finds likely spoliation but withholds the sanctions sought

Judge Chun ruled partly for each side on the sanctions motion in a sealed order, MLex reported on 29 April 2026. In the version later unsealed he found it likely that Amazon spoliated at least some evidence but did not impose the sanctions the FTC sought at that stage, MLex reported on 19 May 2026.

JJudge John H. ChunApr 2026

more likely than not that Amazon spoliated at least some evidence

View post ↗Archived copy

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

MLex

27 Jul 2026

Money

Reported deadline for Prime refund claims

Consumers who did not receive an automatic payment and met the eligibility criteria could file a claim for up to 51 dollars, with a deadline of 27 July 2026, WTKR reported, citing the settlement website and noting that each claimant's notice states their own deadline. The FTC's refund page says most eligible customers receive payments automatically.

WTKR News 3 (Scripps)US Federal Trade Commission

Sep 2026

Money

Prime refunds pass 845 million dollars

By September 2026 Amazon had issued more than 845 million dollars in refunds, and automatic refunds were to continue through April 2027, according to the FTC.

$845 million refunds issuedUS Federal Trade Commission

Oct 2026

Ruling

Judge refuses to delay the monopolisation trial

Judge Chun rejected Amazon's request to postpone the trial to June 2027 and kept the 29 March 2027 date, MLex reported on 9 October 2026.

JJudge John H. ChunOct 2026

has been preparing for some time for the March 29, 2027, trial date in this matter

View post ↗Archived copy

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

MLex

Oct 2026

Filing

Amazon asks the court to rule in its favour before trial

Amazon moved for judgment, arguing that the plaintiffs could not bring claims over its fulfilment conduct or Project Nessie and lacked evidence that reserving the Prime badge for Fulfillment by Amazon sellers had market wide anticompetitive effects, MLex reported on 16 October 2026.

AAmazon, court filing on Project NessieOct 2026

it was discontinued years ago and is unlikely to recur

View post ↗Archived copy

🇺🇸 Seattle, Washington

MLex

Key facts

Court	US District Court for the Western District of Washington, Seattle
Judge	John H. Chun
Monopolisation case	Filed 26 September 2023 under the FTC Act and state laws, trial set for 29 March 2027
Prime case	Filed 21 June 2023 under the FTC Act and ROSCA, settled 25 September 2025
Prime settlement	1 billion dollar civil penalty and 1.5 billion dollars in consumer refunds
Legal status	Monopolisation claims pending, Prime case settled without admission of wrongdoing

Legal status

Monopolisation case: no finding of liability, motion to dismiss largely denied in September 2024, trial set for March 2027. Prime case: the court found a ROSCA violation at checkout on summary judgment in September 2025, and Amazon then settled without admitting wrongdoing.

The subject's position

Amazon has denied the monopolisation allegations, saying its practices benefit competition, consumers and small and medium sized businesses and that the FTC's claims will not hold up on the evidence. It settled the Prime case without admitting wrongdoing.

Who is involved

Amazon.com, Inc.
Defendant in both cases

US Federal Trade Commission
Plaintiff, joined by state attorneys general in the monopolisation case

John H. Chun
US District Judge, Western District of Washington, presiding in both cases

Still unresolved

The sanctions, if any, that Judge Chun will impose at trial over the spoliation finding were not found in sources reviewed.
The exact date of the October 2026 order keeping the trial date was not confirmed beyond the MLex report date.
The exact start date of the Prime trial in September 2025 was not confirmed.

Terms explained

The monopolisation case and the Prime case are separate lawsuits, though both are before Judge Chun.

The Prime settlement resolved consumer protection claims and does not affect the antitrust claims.

The September 2025 summary judgment finding in the Prime case preceded the settlement, which contains no admission.

Revision history

1 Nov 2026 Published Timeline published.

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Sources

19 records, ranked by type

1Official record26 Sep 2023
FTC Sues Amazon for Illegally Maintaining Monopoly Power
US Federal Trade Commission · ftc.gov
Open original ↗Archived copy
2News report21 Jun 2023
FTC sues Amazon, alleges enrollment of consumers in Prime membership without consent
Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour) · pbs.org
Open original ↗Archived copy
3News report14 Feb 2024
Amazon antitrust trial set for October 2026
The Register · theregister.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
4News report1 Oct 2024
Amazon wins partial dismissal of US FTC's antitrust lawsuit
Reuters (via The Star) · thestar.com.my
Open original ↗Archived copy
5News report7 Oct 2024
Unsealed order in Amazon antitrust case lets entire FTC case proceed, dismisses some state claims
GeekWire · geekwire.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
6Social media post4 Jun 2025
US FTC-Amazon antitrust trial rescheduled to February 2027
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy
7News report18 Sep 2025
FTC Gets Partial Victory in Prime Cancellation Process Suit
Bloomberg Law · news.bloomberglaw.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
8News reportSep 2025
Judge deals Amazon costly defeat ahead of FTC trial
Courthouse News Service · courthousenews.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
9Official record25 Sep 2025
FTC Secures Historic 2.5 Billion Dollar Settlement Against Amazon
US Federal Trade Commission · ftc.gov
Open original ↗Archived copy
10News report25 Sep 2025
Amazon to pay 2.5 billion dollars to settle FTC allegations it duped customers into enrolling in Prime
Associated Press (via Local10) · local10.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
11Official record17 Sep 2026
Amazon Prime refunds (FTC refund information page)
US Federal Trade Commission · ftc.gov
Open original ↗Archived copy
12Social media post10 Dec 2025
US FTC, Amazon propose pushing back antitrust trial to March 2027
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy
13Social media post31 Jan 2026
US FTC, states move for spoliation sanctions in Amazon antitrust case
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy
14News report24 Jul 2026
Amazon Prime FTC settlement claim deadline is July 27
WTKR News 3 (Scripps) · wtkr.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
15Social media post9 Oct 2026
Amazon's bid to delay US FTC monopolization trial rejected by judge
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy
16Social media post16 Oct 2026
Amazon moves for judgment in US antitrust case brought by FTC, states
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy
17News report2 Oct 2024
FTC can proceed with its antitrust claims against Amazon, judge rules
The Washington Post (via ABA Journal) · abajournal.com
Open original ↗Archived copy
18Social media post29 Apr 2026
US FTC partially wins bid for spoliation sanctions against Amazon
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy
19Social media post19 May 2026
Judge says Amazon likely spoliated evidence but denies US FTC sanctions bid
MLex · mlex.com
View post ↗Archived copy

Last updated 1 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Every event links to the record it comes from. Allegations are attributed to whoever made them.