French Authority Imposes €4.6 Million Fine on Doctolib for Antitrust Violations

The French competition authority has imposed a fine of €4.6 million on the telehealth company Doctolib for engaging in practices deemed anticompetitive. This decision follows an investigation that revealed the company had abused its dominant position in the telehealth and online medical appointment sectors.

The Autorité de la Concurrence stated that Doctolib employed a series of anticompetitive tactics to maintain its market dominance. With reported annual revenues of €348 million last year, Doctolib has emerged as a significant player in the health tech industry, operating across France, Italy, and Germany. The authority highlighted that the company’s strategies were part of a larger plan to stifle competition within these markets.

At the center of the investigation are two of Doctolib’s key services: Doctolib Patient and Doctolib Téléconsultation. These platforms enable patients to book medical appointments and consult healthcare professionals online. The Autorité alleged that Doctolib coerced healthcare providers into exclusivity clauses, preventing them from subscribing to the services separately, thereby eliminating any competitive options available to users.

Internal documents reviewed by the competition authority indicated that Doctolib’s management aimed to position the company as “an essential, strategic interface between doctor and patient,” which would effectively lock in both parties. The authority also scrutinized Doctolib’s acquisition of its main rival, MonDocteur, in 2018, a move made when the telehealth market was still developing.

The case was initiated following a formal complaint lodged in 2019 by Cegedim Santé, a competitor of Doctolib in France. In response to the ruling, Doctolib announced its intention to appeal the decision, asserting that it does not hold a dominant position in the market. The company emphasized its relatively recent entry into the healthcare software sector and its smaller scale compared to European competitors.

Doctolib stated, “Despite our widespread use by the public, we are three times smaller than our European rivals,” noting that its services are utilized by 30 percent of French health professionals, an increase from 10 percent in 2019. The company expressed confidence in its appeal, stating, “We are calmly beginning the next steps of the procedure, which will allow us to obtain a fair decision upon appeal.”

The outcome of this case could have significant implications not only for Doctolib but also for the broader telehealth market in Europe, as regulatory scrutiny of such practices intensifies amid the growing importance of digital health solutions.