China’s unprecedented crackdown on its internet sector

BEIJING: China is in the midst of an extraordinary clampdown on its once-freewheeling internet sector, with its competition regulator in particular dishing out fines and warnings and conducting investigations into the biggest names in the “platform economy”.

The high-profile moves from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) have included a record fine on e-commerce giant Alibaba, an ongoing antitrust probe into food delivery giant Meituan, and expected penalties for social media and gaming giant Tencent.