China’s market regulator has warned that internet platforms demanding merchants offering the “lowest price across the internet” may face antitrust action, reports the South China Morning Post. This is the latest part of a campaign from Beijing to curb malpractice.
The “lowest-price” requirement, where platforms bar merchants from selling cheaper elsewhere, is one of eight potential violations identified in the draft, according to Liu Jian, deputy director of antitrust enforcement at the administration.
The draft, which the SAMR presented for public feedback last month, also targets opaque algorithms that could harm merchants and consumers.