EU General Court confirms Amazon falls under strict rules for digital services

Amazon's request to have its classification as a "very large online platform" under the European Digital Services Act revoked was rejected by the European Union's General Court on Wednesday.

The designation means the company must comply with stricter requirements to control illegal and harmful content. Amazon had argued that its online marketplace did not pose a systemic risk and challenged the legality of the European Commission's decision.

However, the court ruled that the designation was justified as platforms with more than 45 million users can pose a risk to society, particularly in the areas of the distribution of illegal content and violations of fundamental rights, including consumer protection.

The Court also noted that the obligations imposed on these platforms are preventive in nature and are aimed at avoiding risks, even if this imposes a significant financial burden on companies such as Amazon.

It also rejected all the company's other legal arguments. Amazon has not yet responded to the decision.

(reuters, max)