Amazon.com Inc. appealed for a record 746 million euros ($865 million) fine for allegedly violating the EU’s strict data-protection rules.
The appeal was filed at the Luxembourg Administrative Tribunal on Friday, according to Luxembourg court spokesman Henri Appers.
The challenge comes after data protection regulator CNPD of Luxembourg, where Amazon has an EU base, fined the US tech giant in July.
The regulator ruled that Amazon violated the block’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, through its processing of users’ personal data. The decision was triggered by a 2018 complaint by French privacy rights group La Quadrcher du Net.
The world’s largest online retailer has come under scrutiny in recent years for a vast trove of customers and partners, including independent merchants who sell on its retail marketplace, users of its Alexa digital assistant, and shoppers whose browsing and Purchase history informs what Amazon shows them on its website.
Amazon declined to comment on the appeal, but noted a previous statement in July that “there has been no data breach, and no customer data has been exposed to any third parties.”
Amazon previously said it “strongly” disagrees with the Luxembourg authority’s findings.
The company says it collects data to improve customer experience, and controls what employees can do with it. Some lawmakers and regulators have raised concerns that the company has used what it knows to give itself an unfair advantage in the market.
The powers of the EU’s data protection regulators have grown significantly since the bloc’s GDPR rules took effect in May 2018. The law allows watchdogs to fine up to 4% of a company’s annual global sales.
The privacy probe adds to an in-depth antitrust investigation into Amazon’s business in Europe. Amazon is being investigated by the European Union over its use of sellers’ data on its platform and whether it unfairly favors its products. There are several investigations into the sale of Amazon in Germany. The UK is also investigating similar issues as the EU.
(Updated with Amazon response from sixth paragraph)
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