Amazon's Secret Algorithm, Project Nessie, Boosted Profits by $1.4 Billion, Unredacted FTC Lawsuit Reveals

A previously redacted FTC lawsuit shows that Amazon's Project Nessie algorithm identified products where it could artificially raise prices without losing sales to competitors. Amazon used an algorithm called Project Nessie to identify products it could raise prices on without losing sales to competitors, resulting in $1.4 billion in additional profits over 5 years as competitors followed Amazon's lead and kept prices high. Amazon claims Project Nessie was intended to prevent "unsustainable" low prices, but the FTC argues it targeted competitors that would match price increases, not prevent decreases.