Dear Friend,

Amazon—which made Jeff Bezos the richest man in the world—is making more
money than ever.

Corporate profits were up more than 50% last year, an extra $10.5 billion
earned on the backs of mistreated employees and small businesses.^1

Now Amazon has raised its Prime membership fee by 17%—well above the rate
of inflation—just because it can. The mega retailer’s monopoly is so
strong that its executives know we have no choice but to pay whatever rate
they charge.^2 It’s past time for Congress to put an end to it.

[ [link removed] ]Demand Progress is making headway on two bills in Congress that would
help break up Amazon, but we need your help to get them across the finish
line. Will you chip in $10 to and help demand that the Senate
break up Big Tech monopolies?

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Amazon is also raking in obscene profits because it underpays and
overworks its employees. Amazon takes product ideas from third-party
sellers, and then it sells those products to consumers, often putting the
third-party seller out of business.^3 And let’s not forget: Amazon makes
up a whopping 42% of all online sales.^4

The good news is that two bills moving through Congress would help break
the stranglehold that Amazon and other tech giants have on the market.

The Open App Markets Act would stop Amazon, Apple, and the rest of Big
Tech from favoring their own apps over third-party start-ups on their
platforms.^5 And the American Innovation and Choice Online Act would stop
Amazon and the like from unfairly elevating their products and services in
online searches.^6

Both of these bills have bipartisan support and are getting traction. But
we need your help to demand that the Senate adopt these measures
posthaste.

Until then, Amazon will keep acting like the unregulated monopoly that it
is—raising prices and exploiting its employees.

[ [link removed] ]Demand Progress is working to break up Amazon by passing two antitrust
tech bills in Congress. Will you chip in $10?

Thanks for standing with us.

Robert Cruickshank,
Demand Progress

PS: Your contributions are what keep us nimble and prepared to take on
important fights like these as they happen. [ [link removed] ]Will you become a monthly
donor to keep our work going?

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

Sources:

1. Amazon, "Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Results," [ [link removed] ]February 3,
2022
2. MacRumors, "Amazon Set to Increase Prime Membership Fee By 17% for US
Customers," [ [link removed] ]February 4, 2022
3. The New York Times, "12 Accusations in the Damning House Report on
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google," [ [link removed] ]June 11, 2021
4. Digital Commerce 360, "Early estimates: US ecommerce grows 14.2% in
2021," [ [link removed] ]February 10, 2022
5. Reuters, "U.S. Senate panel to debate app store reform bill,"
[ [link removed] ]January 18, 2022
6. CNBC, "Senate committee votes to advance major tech antitrust bill,"
[ [link removed] ]January 20, 2022
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