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China Unveils Draft Antitrust Guidance for Internet Platforms

By  |  November 16, 2025
China

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has issued a new draft of antitrust compliance guidelines aimed at tightening oversight of the country’s major internet platforms, according to a statement released Saturday. The regulator is seeking public comments as it moves to clarify expectations for companies operating at the center of the country’s digital economy.

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    The draft outlines baseline principles for compliance, detailing how platforms should identify potential monopoly risks and what measures they should take to manage them. Per a statement from the administration, the document is intended to give platform operators clearer direction as they work to meet their compliance obligations.

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    An administration official noted that China’s rapidly expanding platform economy has become a driving force in technological progress and industrial upgrading. Because platform rules, data resources and algorithms can significantly shape market dynamics, any exclusionary behavior could have far-reaching effects, the official said. According to a statement, enforcement experience has shown that monopoly risks remain relatively common in this sector, and companies have been anticipating detailed, practical guidance to help them adjust their operations.

    The official added that the draft is expected to reinforce the antitrust framework governing the platform economy, bolster companies’ internal compliance systems and support further innovation driven by market participants themselves.

    To raise awareness of potential risks, the guidelines identify eight categories of high-risk conduct. These range from unfair high pricing and below-cost sales to so-called “whole-network lowest-price” practices. Such behaviors may involve the way platforms transmit data, apply algorithms, set prices, rank search results or distribute online traffic.

    SAMR emphasized that the draft guidelines are not legally binding. Instead, they are intended as broad guidance to help platform operators better detect, evaluate and mitigate antitrust risks—and to encourage companies to take more initiative in regulating their own business practices.

    Source: China Daily Asia