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Alibaba penalty not just about market regulation
Beyond competition and consumer rights issues, it is also about political economy
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Internet giant Alibaba's record 18.2 billion yuan (S$3.7 billion) fine for market dominance, restricting competition and stifling innovation may just be the start of tighter regulations on Chinese tech giants.
While many have linked the firm's misfortunes to founder Jack Ma's comments against the establishment last year, recent moves against Alibaba are likely part of tougher enforcement to limit the massive influence of tech giants in society.
