Coupang, South Korea regulator contest algorithm self-preferencing, customer inducement
By Wooyoung Lee ( September 18, 2026, 07:15 GMT | Insight) -- In its appeal challenging a 162.8 billion won ($117 million today) antitrust fine imposed in 2024, Coupang challenged the reliability of consumer research used by South Korea’s competition regulator to support its finding that the e-commerce giant manipulated search rankings and deceived and unfairly induced customers. In response, the regulator pointed to newly submitted evidence indicating Coupang understood that higher search rankings drove sales and sought to place higher-margin products near the top of search results.In its appeal against a 162.8 billion won ($117 million today) antitrust fine imposed in 2024, Coupang challenged the reliability of consumer research used by South Korea’s competition regulator to support its finding that the e-commerce giant manipulated search rankings and deceived and unfairly induced customers....
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