FTC Launches antitrust investigation against Microsoft: what is known
Kyiv • UNN
The US Federal Trade Commission has launched an antitrust investigation into Microsoft's software and cloud computing licensing activities. The investigation covers the company's possible market abuses and Q is cybersecurity practices.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a large-scale antitrust investigation against Microsoft, including its software licensing and cloud computing businesses. This is reported by Reuters, reports UNN.
Details
Reuters reports on informants who confirmed that the FTC is investigating a case and allegations against a software giant that potentially abuses its position in the Productivity Software Market by imposing punitive licensing conditions to prevent customers from migrating their data from Azure cloud services to other competing platforms.
The investigation was approved by FTC Chairman Lina Han before her likely resignation in January.
The informant also said that the FTC is also studying practices related to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence products.
Competitors have criticized Microsoft's practices, which they say keep customers locked in its Azure cloud platform. The FTC received such complaints last year when it was studying the cloud computing market.
NetChoice, a lobbying group representing internet companies including Amazon and Google that compete with Microsoft in cloud computing, has criticized Microsoft's licensing policies and the integration of artificial intelligence tools into Office and Outlook.
Given that Microsoft is the world's largest software development company, dominating the productivity and operating system software industry, the scale and implications of its licensing decisions are extraordinary.
Microsoft declined to comment.
