Wed Feb 05 04:21:26 UTC 2025: ## China Launches Antitrust Probe into Google Amidst US Tariff Retaliation

**HONG KONG, February 5, 2025** – China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced an antitrust investigation into Google on Tuesday, a move widely seen as retaliation for new US tariffs imposed on Chinese imports. The investigation follows a long and complex relationship between Google and the Chinese government, marked by censorship, service restrictions, and eventual expulsion from the mainland market in 2010.

Google launched its Chinese search engine, google.cn, in 2006, complying with Beijing’s censorship regulations. However, after a 2010 cyberattack and increasing pressure to censor search results, Google withdrew its search engine from China, redirecting users to its Hong Kong site. Subsequently, Beijing blocked access to most Google services within its Great Firewall.

Despite the lack of access for Chinese users, Google maintains a presence in China, primarily focused on advertising sales and engineering, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.

While details about the specifics of the antitrust investigation remain scarce, experts speculate it may center on Google’s Android operating system. Concerns regarding Google’s market practices, particularly its licensing fees for Android, have been raised by Chinese smartphone manufacturers, excluding Apple and Huawei, which use the system. This investigation is seen by some as a bargaining chip in the ongoing US-China trade dispute. Huawei, after being placed on the US entity list, developed its own HarmonyOS operating system.

The impact of the investigation on Google’s operations remains unclear. While its immediate status is unlikely to be affected, the probe could last for months. Google has yet to issue a statement. This antitrust action adds to a list of similar investigations faced by Google in various countries, including the European Union, South Korea, Russia, India, and Turkey, related to alleged abuse of market dominance. The timing of the investigation, coinciding with the implementation of US tariffs, strongly suggests it is part of a wider retaliatory strategy by the Chinese government.

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