In early February 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR, China's top market regulator) announced an antitrust investigation into Google, marking the latest escalation in the U.S.-China trade and technology rivalry. The probe, initiated amid retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, underscores China’s strategic use of regulatory tools to counterbalance geopolitical pressures. This report synthesizes media coverage of the probe, Google’s historical tensions with China, and the broader implications for global tech competition.

The investigation was announced on February 4, 2025, minutes after the U.S. imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese imports. China retaliated with tariffs on American coal, LNG, crude oil, and agricultural equipment, while also targeting Google for alleged antitrust violations.

While SAMR provided limited specifics, experts suggest the probe centers on Google’s Android operating system. Chinese smartphone manufacturers, excluding Huawei and Apple, pay licensing fees to Google for Android use. Huawei’s development of HarmonyOS after its 2019 U.S. sanctions highlights China’s push for technological self-reliance.

Background:

Google’s search engine exited China's market in 2010 after complaining of censorship by China’s government, so it is unclear exactly what violations China might mean, or what consequences China seeks to impose.

However, the Financial Times reports that Google’s parent company Alphabet remains active in China, especially as Chinese brands continue to use Google to advertise overseas, and phone makers continue to use its Android phone operating system.

It is not known exactly how much business Google does in China with the FT only noting that China was included under Google’s Asia-Pacific region, which had 17 per cent of Google’s global sales.

This isn't the first time Google has been caught in a geopolitical mess, and the Russian government is demanding that it pay them more money than has ever existed on earth.

Google has faced antitrust scrutiny in the EU, South Korea, and India. However, China’s probe is viewed as politically motivated, leveraging regulatory measures in the ongoing trade war.