Nvidia’s offices in France were raided by the country’s competition authority, raising concerns over anti-competitive practices in the graphics cards industry, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Although the agency did not name Nvidia specifically, it confirmed the raid in an official statement. The move comes as Nvidia’s chips have experienced a surge in demand, with companies like Microsoft and OpenAI purchasing thousands of the company’s high-end AI chips for language models. This raid indicates that global governments are taking notice of Nvidia’s dominant position in the chipmaking market.

These types of raids typically occur in the early morning, during which authorities search a company’s premises, seize physical and digital materials, and interview employees. The French competition authority conducted this raid as part of its intensified focus on cloud technology, an area it published a market study on in June. However, the agency clarified that these raids do not automatically imply a breach of the law, as only a full investigation can determine that. Nvidia has not commented on the situation, but the raid suggests that the company’s prominence in chipmaking has not escaped the attention of regulatory bodies worldwide.

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