The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) renewed its effort on Thursday to compel Amazon to produce documents regarding the company’s communication preservation practices. The FTC challenged Amazon’s assertion that its executives never used the encrypted app Signal to discuss business practices pertinent to the ongoing antitrust case, deeming it “unbelievable.”
“Amazon asks the court to believe the unbelievable,” the FTC stated in a filing supporting its earlier motion to compel discovery of privileged documents. The FTC and state attorneys general allege that Amazon illegally maintained monopolies over the market for “online superstores” used by consumers and the market for online marketplace services used by third-party sellers on its platform.
The plaintiffs claim that Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos and other executives used Signal to destroy evidence during the legal battle. Amazon countered earlier this month, stating there is no evidence its top executives used Signal in such a manner, arguing that their use of the app is legitimate and that the plaintiffs’ motion is misleading.
