Alibaba—Fined record $2.8 billion for antitrust violations and monopolistic 'pick one of two' practices
China fined Alibaba $2.8 billion (18.2 billion yuan), representing 4% of 2019 sales, for antitrust violations. Investigation focused on forcing merchants to choose exclusively between platforms ('pick one of two'), stifling competition. Alibaba's market share exceeded 50% on Taobao and Tmall from 2015-2019. The antitrust review ended in August 2024 after more than three years.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antitrust & Competition | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.295 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.59)× agency (compelled ×0.25)
Evidence (1 signal)
China issued $2.8 billion antitrust fine for monopolistic practices
China's State Administration for Market Regulation issued record $2.8 billion (18.2 billion yuan) fine on April 10, 2021, representing 4% of Alibaba's 2019 China sales. Investigation focused on 'pick one of two' practices forcing merchant exclusivity. Antitrust review ended August 2024 after three years.