The People"s Daily report said that investigating the Trip.com monopoly case posed formidable technical challenges. The relevant data was scattered across terminal devices, cloud servers and business systems, with massive volume, complex interconnections and a high degree of concealment, noting that it is China"s first case targeting a new type of monopolistic conduct in the platform economy.

　　Shi Jianzhong, deputy head of the expert advisory group under the State Council"s Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition Commission and dean of the Institute of Data Law at China University of Political Science and Law, said that Trip.com integrated digital-intelligent technologies with its ecosystem layout to form a composite monopoly model of "technology + ecosystem + conduct."

　　Through algorithmic monitoring, traffic control and ecosystem bundling, the company implemented monopolistic practices with precision and efficiency, making the conduct more covert and harmful, Shi said.

　　The conduct excluded and restricted market competition, limited hotel operators" ability to operate across platforms, infringed on their autonomy in setting prices, harmed consumer interests, intensified "involution-style" competition in the industry and hindered its healthy development, the regulator said.

　　The SAMR said it will supervise Trip.com"s comprehensive rectification and require the company to publicly disclose its corrective measures and accept public oversight, so as to effectively protect the lawful rights and interests of hotel operators and consumers, maintain a market order featuring quality, fair prices and sound competition, and promote innovation and the healthy development of the industry.