China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) promulgated the “Antitrust Compliance Guidelines for Internet Platforms”, according to CCTV. This is to support and guide internet platform operators in China to effectively prevent antitrust compliance risks and promote innovation and healthy development of the platform economy.

The guidelines focus on regulating four types of monopoly risks: monopoly agreements, abuse of market dominance, concentration of operators, and abuse of administrative power to exclude and restrict competition. They set clear “red lines” for platform operators.

Related NewsBOCI: Baidu (BIDU.US) 4Q Profit Beats; TP USD172; Rating Buy Kept
The guidelines outline new monopoly risks in eight scenarios, including algorithm collusion among platforms, organized assistance for operators among platforms to reach monopoly agreements, unfair high pricing by platforms, below-cost sales by platforms, blocking, “choose one of the two options” behavior, “lowest price on the internet”, and differential treatment by platforms. These provide platform operators with actionable guidance to strengthen antitrust compliance management.

The guidelines require platform operators to adhere to four major principles: specificity, comprehensiveness, penetration, and continuity, in conducting antitrust compliance management. They must compete legally and operate compliantly, and are prohibited from engaging in monopolistic behaviors banned by the “Antitrust Law” by leveraging data, algorithms, technology, capital advantages, and platform rules.