Amazon has agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission complaint that it broke federal rules designed to help identity theft victims. The FTC alleged the company repeatedly failed to give those victims—and, in some cases, law enforcement—transaction records tied to fraudulent purchases made on its platform.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, companies must provide victims with records of unauthorized transactions within 30 days of a request. The FTC’s complaint claims Amazon customer service representatives turned down some of those requests, citing security or privacy concerns. In other cases, agents told victims they couldn’t access the necessary records. Even when Amazon did hand over information, it often missed the 30-day deadline.

The settlement marks one of the larger civil penalties for this type of FCRA violation. Amazon did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay the fine. The FTC said the case highlights how even major tech firms can stumble on basic consumer protection obligations. Amazon has not commented publicly on the settlement beyond its legal filing.

Source: Engadget