Saturday, 25 July, 2026
Beijing Checks In With a $770M Antitrust Penalty
By TechShots Studio
China’s market regulator fined Trip.com Group 5.2 billion yuan (~$770 million)—comprising a 3.52 billion yuan fine and 1.66 billion yuan in confiscated illegal gains—for abusing its market dominance. Authorities found the travel giant manipulated traffic algorithms and forced exclusive deals on hotels to block rival platforms and control pricing. Trip.com accepted the decision and agreed to pay full refunds to affected hotel operators.