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Indonesia Antitrust Agency Grants Conditional Approval for TikTok’s Tokopedia Acquisition

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Indonesia’s antitrust authority, the KPPU, has given a conditional green light to TikTok’s $840 million acquisition of a 75.01% stake in Tokopedia, the country’s largest e-commerce platform. The deal, completed in January 2024, was previously scrutinized for potential monopoly risks.

The KPPU’s approval comes after TikTok and Tokopedia agreed to meet several conditions designed to safeguard fair competition. These include maintaining open access to payment and logistics services and prohibiting predatory pricing practices that could harm market fairness.

During its probe, the agency had flagged concerns over increased market concentration and the possibility of post-acquisition price hikes due to TikTok’s dominant position. The conditions aim to mitigate these risks and promote a balanced digital marketplace.

TikTok expressed respect for the KPPU’s decision and reiterated its commitment to fair competition principles. The KPPU will continue monitoring compliance with the conditions until June 17, 2027, retaining authority to impose sanctions if violations occur.

OpenAI Weighs Antitrust Action Against Microsoft Amid Tensions Over AI Partnership

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Executives at OpenAI have internally discussed whether to accuse Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior, potentially seeking a federal regulatory review of their contractual relationship, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft, a major backer of OpenAI since 2019 with an investment exceeding $10 billion over time, has been a core infrastructure partner via its Azure cloud services. However, tensions between the companies appear to be growing as they negotiate the terms of OpenAI’s ongoing transition into a public-benefit corporation — a step that requires Microsoft’s approval.

Disputes and Strategic Divergences:

  • Talks between the two sides have dragged on for months without a final agreement on Microsoft’s future equity stake in OpenAI.

  • According to The Information, OpenAI is pushing for Microsoft to accept a 33% stake in a restructured subsidiary in exchange for giving up rights to future profits.

  • OpenAI also seeks to revise clauses that currently give Microsoft exclusive hosting rights for its models, potentially opening the door for other cloud providers like Google Cloud, which OpenAI has already begun engaging to expand its compute capacity.

Microsoft, reportedly unwilling to concede to OpenAI’s proposed restructuring, is said to be seeking further concessions. Still, both companies issued a joint statement to Reuters expressing optimism:

“Talks are ongoing and we are optimistic we will continue to build together for years to come.”

Possible Antitrust Implications:

Should OpenAI move forward with an antitrust complaint or regulatory appeal, it could dramatically reshape one of the most influential alliances in the artificial intelligence landscape. Microsoft’s deep integration with OpenAI — spanning cloud infrastructure, product embedding (like Copilot in Office), and funding — could come under increased regulatory scrutiny, especially in the U.S. and EU, where antitrust enforcement in tech has intensified.

This development highlights OpenAI’s increasing desire to diversify partnerships and assert strategic independence, even from its most powerful corporate backer.

Dutch Court Confirms Apple Abused Dominant Market Position in Dating App Case

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A Dutch court has upheld a 2021 ruling by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), confirming that Apple abused its dominant position in the dating app market through restrictive practices imposed via its App Store.

The Rotterdam District Court ruled that Apple was unfairly forcing dating app developers to use its in-app payment system, prohibiting references to alternative payment methods, and charging up to 30% commission (or **15% for smaller developers). These practices, according to the court, violated EU antitrust regulations.

In 2021, ACM had fined Apple €50 million ($58 million) for failing to comply with its order to change these app store policies. Monday’s court decision affirms that the regulator was justified in both its assessment and the penalties it imposed.

Apple announced it will appeal the ruling, defending its policies as protective of user privacy and security. “This ruling undermines the technology and tools we’ve created to benefit developers and protect users’ privacy and security, and we plan to appeal,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

The case highlights growing regulatory scrutiny of Apple’s App Store rules, which have come under fire in several jurisdictions for being anti-competitive. It also adds to the pressure from EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is designed to open digital markets and limit the control of dominant platforms.