EU Opens Antitrust Investigations Into Qualcomm

The European Commission announced two antitrust investigations on July 16 into the chip maker Qualcomm, the latest in a number of recent competition inquiries that have targeted United States technology giants.

Europe’s antitrust officials said they would investigate whether Qualcomm, one of the world’s largest chip makers, abused its dominant market position in the region by offering financial incentives to potential customers if they bought equipment solely from the American company. European authorities will also examine whether Qualcomm unfairly set prices below its manufacturing costs to force competitors from the market. The company’s chips are used in smartphones and other mobile devices, which are increasingly central to how people access online services.