Alibaba, the parent company of Taobao, has completed a three-year antitrust compliance overhaul mandated by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation. The overhaul involved corrective measures to end monopolistic practices, improve compliance management systems, and foster a fairer competitive environment in the online retail sector.

A 2024 PLA tender mandated that a portable surveillance device support data extraction from major e-commerce platforms including Taobao, highlighting how state-driven surveillance initiatives leverage consumer data from these platforms to bolster authoritarian control.

In the wake of a record anti-monopoly fine and a three‐year rectification process mandated by Chinese regulators, Alibaba Group’s restructuring saw Eddie Yongming Wu – previously chairman of Taobao and Tmall – assume the role of CEO. This leadership change is part of broader efforts to overhaul corporate governance and business practices following decades of monopolistic behavior.

Amid a broad government crackdown on China’s internet giants, Taobao—a key platform operated by Alibaba Group—is implicated in aligning its business practices with CCP directives. As regulatory measures tighten control over data, competition, and market behavior, Taobao and its parent company have taken steps that include significant financial commitments to support state-promoted initiatives such as the 'common prosperity' campaign. These actions raise concerns about corporate complicity in furthering an authoritarian agenda.

Chinese regulators imposed a record fine of 18.2 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) on Alibaba for using exclusive dealing agreements that barred merchants from selling on competitor platforms. As one of Alibaba Group’s flagship platforms, Taobao is implicated in these monopolistic practices that undermine fair market competition and contribute to structural economic imbalances.

A report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in March 2020 implicated 83 companies – including Chinese brands – for allegedly benefiting from forced labor involving Uyghur minorities through abusive labor transfer programs. Taobao, as part of the broader Chinese corporate landscape, is potentially linked to these concerns regarding its supply chain practices and labor relations.