Amazon legal challenges in Germany

Amazon is facing multiple legal challenges in Germany regarding its compliance with consumer protection and digital regulations.

In August 2026, the Higher Regional Court of Bamberg ruled that Amazon violated the Digital Services Act (DSA). The court found that the company’s mechanism for reporting illegal offers was “insufficient and misleading,” noting that the reporting link suggested quality defects rather than illegal listings. The ruling also stated that requiring a customer account to submit reports violated Article 16 of the DSA, and that Amazon failed to meet transparency requirements regarding how search results are sorted and how users disable personalized advertising.

In September 2026, legal scrutiny shifted toward Amazon Prime membership fees. Two courts ruled that price increases implemented in 2022 were invalid because the company failed to obtain active consent from existing customers. Following these rulings, the Verbraucherzentrale NRW suggested that affected customers could participate in a class action lawsuit to reclaim funds, leading to social media confusion regarding the status of the legal matter.