In a letter addressed to Attorney General William Barr, Republican Senator Josh Hawley asks the administration to launch a criminal investigation against the online retail giant, Amazon, for allegedly taking advantage of small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

In his letter, Hawley claimed that Amazon’s business practices, such as collecting data from retailers, had threatened the very existence of smaller businesses that have relied on Amazon to sell their products during the global health crisis. “These practices are alarming for America’s small businesses even under ordinary circumstances. But at a time when most small retail businesses must rely on Amazon because of coronavirus-related shutdowns, predatory data practices threaten these businesses’ very existence,” the senator wrote.

Hawley’s letter came as a response to a recently released report from the Wall Street Journal. The media outlet explained that based on current data policies, Amazon could not use information that the website collects from third-party sellers, as a way to gain leverage and sales for Amazon-owned products. In fact, this set of information should be considered as the seller’s property.

However, the Wall Street Journal cited that Amazon did just that. Based on interviews with more than 20 former Amazon employees, as well as current employees from its private label, all had admitted that they are using third-party data to decide on how to market and price a specific item. The media outlet wrote that in one particular product, Amazon was able to access information about a best selling car-trunk organizer. The retail giant was able to gather information on what the third-party vendor had in sales, as well as how much the marketing and shipping would cost for each purchase. From the data, Amazon was able to introduce its own car-trunk organizer.

The senator concluded in his letter that while Amazon had abused its own marketing platform as a way to create copycat products, the practice has become “concerning now.” Hawley believed that the economic crisis and the strict-stay-at-home orders had left most small businesses reliant on online platforms to make the sales. Hawley added that it becomes an “existential threat” as small businesses have struggled to stay afloat and that Amazon’s practice can prevent them from recovering.

The attorney general had been focused on targeting vendors who are conducting fraud and scams to take advantage of the current crisis.