France says its antitrust probe into Nvidia nearing end

France's competition authority said on Thursday that its antitrust investigation into Nvidia ↘ 9.26% is coming to an end, according to Reuters.reuters

"We are nearing the end of the investigation," Umberto Berkani, the French competition authority's general rapporteur, told reporters on Thursday.thestar

Origins of the Investigation

The Autorité de la concurrence has been investigating Nvidia over alleged anti-competitive practices tied to the chipmaker's dominance in the artificial intelligence chip market. The probe traces back to a raid on Nvidia's Paris offices in September 2023, which was initially part of a broader investigation into France's cloud computing sector.techmonitor+1

In July 2024, Reuters reported that French antitrust authorities were preparing to charge Nvidia, making France the first regulator globally to take such formal action against the company. At the time, the authority's president, Benoit Coeuré, confirmed that a formal statement of objections would be issued but said it was "not imminent".lefigaro+1

Broader Regulatory Landscape

The French investigation has been one of several regulatory challenges facing Nvidia as its chips have become central to the global AI boom. Demand for the company's graphics processing units surged following the launch of generative AI tools, drawing scrutiny from regulators in both Europe and the United States.reuters

The Autorité de la concurrence had previously published a report expressing concern about the market's dependence on Nvidia's CUDA chip programming software, which critics say creates barriers to competition in the AI hardware ecosystem.eenewseurope

What Comes Next

While Berkani's statement confirms the probe is wrapping up, the authority has not yet disclosed the specific outcome or any penalties Nvidia may face. France's competition watchdog has the power to impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's global revenue for antitrust violations. The conclusion of the investigation could result in formal charges, a settlement, or the case being closed.