China fines Ctrip $5.18B, launches pilot to combat 'ghost scales' with new tech standards
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) imposed a 5.179 billion yuan ($5.18 billion) fine on Ctrip for abusing market dominance in online hotel booking, ordering it to end exclusive deals and "lowest price" practices. Separately, SAMR launched pilot programs in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces to combat fraudulent electronic scales ("ghost scales") using new technical standards requiring anti-tampering features. A national smart supervision platform now tracks scales from production to repair, with 900,000 units registered. Non-compliant scales cannot be sold after January 8, 2027.
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China fines Ctrip $5.18B, targets electronic scales in consumer protection push
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has imposed a record 5.179 billion yuan ($5.18 billion) fine on Ctrip for abusing its market dominance in online hotel booking, ordering the platform to end exclusive deals and 'lowest price' practices. Spokesperson Wang Qiuping stated the goal is to 'regulate an industry through one case,' emphasizing consumer protection and fair competition. Separately, SAMR launched a pilot program in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces to combat fraudulent electronic scales ('ghost scales') using new technical standards requiring 'open-shell lock, authorized unlock, three codes and one seal' anti-tampering features. The initiative includes a national smart supervision platform tracking scales from production to repair, with consumers able to scan a unique code to verify a scale's history. The article frames these actions as part of a broader shift from reactive enforcement to proactive governance, citing 780,200 cases handled in the first three quarters and a 2.37% failure rate in food safety tests.
Read sourceChina fines Ctrip $5.18B, targets electronic scale fraud in consumer protection push
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced a 5.179 billion yuan ($5.18 billion) fine against Ctrip for abusing market dominance in online hotel booking, ordering it to stop exclusive deals and 'lowest price' practices. The regulator also launched electronic计价秤 (pricing scale) pilot programs in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces to combat 'ghost scales' that cheat consumers. SAMR spokesperson Wang Qiuping said the goal is to 'regulate an industry through one case' and shift from reactive enforcement to proactive prevention. New technical standards require scales to have anti-tampering features including 'open-shell lock, authorized unlock, three codes and one seal' to prevent fraud. A national智慧计量监管 (smart metrology supervision) platform now tracks scales from production to repair, with 900,000 units registered. The measures aim to protect consumers in daily purchases like food and hotel bookings, reflecting a broader regulatory strategy of combining high-profile antitrust enforcement with grassroots consumer protection.
Read sourceChina cracks down on 'ghost scales' as snack brands face weight fraud accusations
Chinese regulators are intensifying efforts to combat 'ghost scales'—rigged electronic scales that shortchange consumers—after multiple bulk-snack brands were caught in recent inspections. On September 24, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced a pilot program in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces to tackle the problem from the production stage. New technical standards require all electronic scales to feature anti-tampering functions including 'open-shell lock, authorized unlock, and three-code-one-seal' mechanisms to prevent unauthorized modifications. A national smart metering supervision platform has been established, connecting 235 manufacturers and 2,182 authorized repair units, with 900,000 new-standard scales already registered. Starting January 8, 2027, non-compliant scales cannot be sold. Consumers can scan a unique QR code on each scale to view its full lifecycle record and report irregularities. The initiative aims to shift enforcement from manual inspection to technological prevention and from post-incident punishment to pre-market safeguards.
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China's Market Regulator Fines Ctrip $5.18B, Targets Electronic Scale Fraud with New Tech
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced a 5.179 billion yuan ($5.18 billion) fine against Ctrip for abusing its market dominance in online hotel booking, ordering it to stop exclusive deals and 'lowest price' practices. The regulator also launched a pilot program in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces to combat 'ghost scales' (rigged electronic scales) using new technical standards. The program requires scales to have anti-tampering features including 'open-shell lock, authorized unlock, and three codes one seal' to prevent fraud. A national smart supervision platform has been built to track scales from production to repair. Consumers can scan a QR code to check a scale's history and report issues. SAMR spokesperson Wang Qiuping stated the goal is to move from passive response to proactive governance, ensuring fair markets and consumer safety.
Read sourceChina market regulator cracks down on short-weighting, seizes 8,544 faulty scales
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced at a quarterly press conference that it has conducted a comprehensive review of electronic scale market order, inspecting 1.246 million scales, seizing 8,544 unqualified units, and handling 6,096 metrology violation cases. This follows recent surprise inspections of bulk snack brands for short-weighting. SAMR has decided to launch electronic scale metrology supervision pilot programs in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces. The pilot features three innovations: first, upgrading technical specifications at the source by requiring anti-cheat functions including 'open-shell lock, authorized unlock, three codes and one seal' (production code, repair code, verification code, and lead seal) to prevent tampering and modification. Second, implementing full-chain traceable supervision through a national smart metrology platform that connects production, sales, use, verification, and repair, assigning each scale a unique QR code for lifecycle tracking. Starting January 8 next year, non-compliant scales cannot be sold. Third, ensuring orderly rollout without a one-size-fits-all approach, with reasonable transition periods for networked scales and simultaneous upgrades for market fair-use scales to minimize compliance costs for vendors. SAMR will summarize pilot experiences and accelerate the construction of a full-chain smart supervision system for electronic scales.