The Lithuanian Competition Council has concluded that two groups of companies engaged in a cartel by dividing their business areas in the electronic gradebook and digital learning platform sectors. This agreement was made to eliminate competition between them, which ultimately limited options for educational institutions and students.

Prior to the cartel's formation, the Snowball.xyz group controlled the Tamo gradebook and two digital learning-content platforms, while the AL holdingas group managed the Eduka gradebook and the Eduka klasė platform. In August 2020, these groups agreed to cease competition and split their businesses, with Snowball.xyz retaining the Tamo gradebook and transferring its digital learning-content business to AL holdingas, which subsequently shut down the Eduka gradebook.

This collusion resulted in significant harm to educational institutions, students, and their parents, as they were left with limited access to services. The Competition Council's Chairwoman, Jolanta Ivanauskienė, emphasized the detrimental impact of this agreement on consumer choice.

Both groups acknowledged their violation of competition laws, leading to a 15% reduction in their fines. The Snowball.xyz group faced a joint fine of EUR 2,714,940, while the AL holdingas group was fined EUR 913,340. The Council also investigated whether the companies could have implemented a merger prior to notifying the authority but found insufficient evidence to proceed.

The decision can be appealed within one month to the Regional Administrative Court.