Business | Tycoons on a tight leash

China’s rulers want more control of big tech

As the Communist Party whips digital platforms into line, trillions of dollars in market value are at stake

|HONG KONG

Editor’s update: on April 10th Chinese authorities fined Alibaba 18.2bn yuan ($2.8bn) following an antitrust investigation. The firm is accused of pressuring retailers into offering their goods exclusively on its online store. It is the largest penalty ever handed down by the country’s regulators.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “An uncertain new path”

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