Commentary Beijing has begun to rein in China’s technology companies, issuing fines and instructing firms to change their corporate structure due to anti-competitive behavior and other transgressions. But a common thread across recent regulatory actions against the technology sector, regardless of the allegations on the surface, is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s desire to control them and their data. There has been increased scrutiny over China’s technology industry. It materially kicked off last year with the halting of Ant Group’s IPO. Then Beijing regulators announced guidance around regulating financial technology companies, to prevent any from becoming too powerful and to protect the interests and business models of the country’s commercial banks. Then in January, the CCP announced that it is engaging with many technology firms in order prevent “monopolies,” to promote “healthy competition,” and to make sure that the technology firms’ growth is in alignment with the interests of the …