The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 22 state attorneys general filed an updated complaint against Amazon with newly unredacted details about how the company allegedly inflated prices in its online search advertising auction.

The FTC and its state partners originally sued Amazon in August in the Western District of Washington, alleging the retailer covertly raised the prices advertisers paid on its platforms.

The newly unsealed material alleges that Amazon secretly increased advertising prices by up to 50% above auction results on ordinary days. During major shopping events like Prime Day and Black Friday, the alleged increases reached 250%.

Read on to learn what the unredacted complaint alleges, how Amazon responded to advertiser questions at the time, and what this means for how you evaluate historical campaign performance.

FTC Details Alleged Price Increases During Shopping Events

According to the FTC’s November 5 announcement, the unsealed sections of the complaint outline specific cost-per-click…