SAMR unveils draft antitrust guideline for internet firms

China's top market regulator has released a draft antitrust compliance guideline for internet companies, which industry experts said offers one of the clearest roadmaps for identifying and preventing antitrust risks in the world's largest digital market.

The draft guideline, released by the State Administration for Market Regulation on Saturday, clarifies how platform operators should identify, assess and manage antitrust risks, and sets out examples of conduct that could raise concerns. It opens for public feedback by the end of November.

The draft guideline outlines eight categories of potential monopoly risks, including algorithmic collusion, helping third-party vendors reach anticompetitive agreements to unfair pricing, below-cost sales and blocking or delisting rivals. It also lists behaviors such as "pick one of two" as risk scenarios.

All these areas are closely watched by global investors and foreign companies navigating China's increasingly algorithm-driven platform economy.

The SAMR said that the draft aims to "promote innovation and healthy development" of the platform economy rather than impose binding obligations. It also encourages companies to carry out internal reviews, strengthen algorithm oversight, improve risk reporting mechanisms and cooperate with investigations when required.

Hong Yong, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the draft gives operators clearer behavior benchmarks and helps stabilize market expectations. "It also supports a fairer competitive environment and can boost innovation," he said.

China has been accelerating its platform governance framework this year. The SAMR has issued multiple documents covering platform responsibilities, data reporting and fee practices, reflecting the growing scale of the industry.

In China, tens of millions of merchants and more than 900 million consumers are now participating in the platform economy, data from the SAMR showed.

Hong said: "Regulators' growing focus on the platform economy reflects the sector's shifting trajectory from an early phase driven by traffic to one centered on value co-creation.

"It also underscores the platform economy's current irreplaceable role in promoting high-quality growth, and the need for improved oversight to guide its orderly development."

chengyu@chinadaily.com.cn