11:04 AM EDT, 04/24/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Amazon.com's ( AMZN ) two subsidiaries have been fined 10 million euros ($10.7 million) by Italy's antitrust authority for allegedly engaging in unfair commercial practices, the regulator said Wednesday.

Amazon ( AMZN ) is accused of unfairly pre-selecting the "recurring purchase" option for many products on its Italian website, violating fair trade practices, the Italian watchdog said, adding that this practice severely limits consumer choice by pre-selecting the recurring purchase option, potentially leading to unnecessary purchases.

"The graphic layout of the pre-selected recurring purchase option may lead consumers to buy products periodically-even when there is no actual need-thereby limiting their ability to choose freely," the watchdog said. As a major player, Amazon ( AMZN ) is expected to design its interfaces to enable consumers to make informed decisions freely, it added.

Amazon ( AMZN ) will now only pre-select free delivery after the competition authority contested its pre-selection of paid fast delivery and its subsidiaries, which include Luxembourg-based Amazon Services Europe and Amazon EU, will also compensate consumers who complained about this in 2023, according to the Italian watchdog.

Amazon ( AMZN ) and Autorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato didn't immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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