In August 2026, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com, Inc. and related subsidiaries alleging that Amazon has used its monopsony power in buying the services of delivery services partners (“DSPs”) to harm competition, resulting in lower wages and worse working conditions for DSP drivers. A monopsonist is like a monopolist, except that a monopsonist has market power in the purchase of goods or services rather than the sale of them.  As explained in the complaint, a monopsonist “can pay its suppliers (or workers) less and subject them to worse conditions because the sellers (or workers) lack alternative purchasers for their goods and services.”

The complaint alleges that the markets for DSP services and the labor of DSP drivers are relevant antitrust markets, and that Amazon has monopsony power in each market. The complaint further alleges that Amazon uses its monopsony power in these markets to limit the ability of DSPs and DSP drivers to challenge that power, including by imposing terms to make it difficult for DSPs to serve other potential customers; attempting to keep DSPs small to limit their bargaining power; and taking actions to prevent DSP drivers from unionizing and forcing Amazon to offer more competitive wages and better working conditions. The lawsuit also alleges that Amazon takes actions to prevent DSP service providers from competing against each other to hire drivers, limiting worker mobility and preventing wages from increasing, which would place pressure on Amazon to increase the rate paid to DSPs.

The lawsuit alleges that Amazon’s conduct violates Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act as well as the New Jersey Antitrust Act.