Episode Details

China will bar online platforms from using big data to engage in discriminatory pricing against consumers, as market regulators move to regulate the platform economy under new regulations released on Wednesday.

中国市场监管部门于周三发布新规，着手规范平台经济发展，明确禁止网络平台利用大数据对消费者实施价格歧视。

The State Administration for Market Regulation and the Cyberspace Administration of China released new measures on the supervision of online trading platforms. The latest rules aim to standardize the formulation, amendment and implementation of platform rules, safeguard online trading market order, and better protect the legitimate rights of merchants and consumers.

国家市场监督管理总局与国家互联网信息办公室联合出台网络交易平台监督管理新规，旨在规范平台规则的制定、修订与执行流程，维护网络交易市场秩序，更好地保护平台内商家与消费者的合法权益。

The measures target what regulators describe as a "critical minority" — online platform operators — and seek to further clarify and strengthen their responsibilities.

此次出台的办法聚焦监管部门所称的 “关键少数”，即网络平台运营者，进一步厘清并压实了其主体责任。

Under such measures, platforms are forbidden from utilizing so-called "big data kill-the-familiar" practices. It is a form of algorithm-driven price discrimination in which frequent or repeat users are charged higher prices than new customers.

办法明确禁止平台采用所谓的 “大数据杀熟” 行为。这种行为是算法驱动的价格歧视，具体表现为平台向高频、复购用户收取高于新用户的费用。

Liu Jian, deputy head of the SAMR's first antitrust enforcement department, said at an earlier news conference that China's platform economy has distinct business models and involves complex, multisided interests, making it difficult to draw clear behavioral boundaries.

国家市场监督管理总局反垄断执法一司副司长刘健在早前的新闻发布会上表示，中国平台经济商业模式特色鲜明，涉及多方复杂利益关系，相关行为边界的界定存在一定难度。

"Promoting algorithms for the public good is an important compliance objective," Liu said.

刘健指出：“推动算法向善，是平台合规经营的重要目标。”

The measures also spell out more detailed requirements on data, information and network