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China opens antitrust probe into Qualcomm over its Autotalks deal

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China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has launched an antitrust investigation into U.S. semiconductor giant Qualcomm over its acquisition of Israel’s Autotalks. The regulator said it would examine whether Qualcomm violated Chinese competition laws by failing to properly declare details of the transaction.

Following the announcement, Qualcomm shares dropped more than 5%, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs against China and hinted at cancelling a planned meeting with President Xi Jinping. The probe adds new pressure to both countries’ tech sectors amid an escalating rivalry in artificial intelligence and semiconductor technology.

Qualcomm completed its Autotalks deal in June, integrating the Israeli company’s V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication technology into its Snapdragon car platform. Analysts suggest that Beijing’s move might go beyond a “no-harm” early filing penalty, signaling potential economic leverage on U.S. chip and auto supply chains.

The case follows China’s recent accusations against Nvidia for breaching anti-monopoly rules. With 46% of Qualcomm’s 2024 fiscal revenue coming from Chinese customers, analysts warn the investigation could intensify investor concerns about geopolitical and regulatory risks in the semiconductor industry.

UK moves to curb Google’s search dominance under new Big Tech powers

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Britain’s competition regulator has designated Google as having strategic market status in online search — a landmark ruling that gives the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) sweeping new powers to reshape how the tech giant operates in the UK.

The CMA said Google controls over 90% of all UK search traffic, cementing a dominant position in both search and search advertising. The designation, announced Friday, does not imply wrongdoing but allows the regulator to intervene directly to ensure fairer competition and impose fines for non-compliance.

The CMA outlined potential changes earlier this year, including fairer ranking systems, easier switching to alternative search engines, and greater publisher control over how their content is used in AI-generated responses. These measures could particularly affect Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode features, though its Gemini AI assistant remains outside the current scope.

Google’s Senior Director for Competition, Oliver Bethell, argued the proposals “would inhibit UK innovation and growth” at a time of “profound AI-based innovation.” The company recently announced a £5 billion investment in Britain.

The ruling marks the CMA’s first use of its expanded Big Tech authority, introduced to address the dominance of firms like Google, Apple, and Amazon. The regulator’s second probe—into mobile operating systems—could also lead to another designation targeting Android.

The move follows mounting global scrutiny: the EU fined Google $3.45 billion for antitrust violations in ad tech last month, while U.S. regulators are pressing to break up parts of its advertising empire.

Competition lawyer Tom Smith, a former CMA director, said the decision could rebalance the market by “giving website operators more control over how their content is used for AI training,” curbing Google’s advantage in artificial intelligence.

Google Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Halt App Store Ruling in Epic Games Case

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Google has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block parts of an injunction that would force sweeping changes to its Play Store, as it prepares to appeal its antitrust loss to “Fortnite” maker Epic Games.

In a filing submitted late Wednesday, Google argued that the lower court order is “unprecedented” and would cause reputational harm, safety and security risks, while putting it at a competitive disadvantage.

Epic sued Google in 2020, claiming it monopolized app distribution and in-app payments on Android devices in violation of U.S. antitrust law. A jury sided with Epic in 2023, and Judge James Donato issued an injunction requiring Google to:

  • allow rival app stores inside the Play Store,

  • make its app catalog available to competitors, and

  • let developers add external links in apps so users can bypass Google’s billing system.

Google said the changes would affect over 100 million U.S. Android users and 500,000 developers, asking the Supreme Court to decide by October 17 whether to pause the order. The company plans to file its full appeal by October 27, setting up the possibility for the justices to review the case in their new term beginning October 6.

Epic dismissed Google’s arguments, saying it was using “flawed security claims” to maintain control over Android. “The court’s injunction should go into effect as ordered so consumers and developers can benefit from competition, choices and lower prices,” Epic said.

Earlier this year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction, noting evidence that Google’s conduct had entrenched its dominance. The full 9th Circuit later declined to revisit the case.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney praised the ruling, saying developers and users would benefit from more openness in the Android ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Google continues to face other lawsuits from regulators, consumers, and businesses over its search and advertising practices, further intensifying its antitrust battles.