Microsoft's competitors, including Amazon and Google, have criticized the company's practices, claiming they keep customers locked into its Azure cloud service. The FTC has demanded detailed information from Microsoft and has also started looking into Microsoft's $650 million deal with AI startup Inflection AI. This investigation comes as part of U.S. antitrust regulators' recent campaign against allegedly anticompetitive practices at Big Tech companies.
Key takeaways:
- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has launched a broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft, focusing on its software licensing and cloud computing businesses.
- The FTC is investigating allegations that Microsoft is abusing its market power by imposing punitive licensing terms to prevent customers from moving their data from its Azure cloud service to other platforms.
- Competitors such as Amazon and Google, represented by lobbying group NetChoice, have criticized Microsoft's practices, accusing the company of keeping customers locked into its cloud offering, Azure.
- Despite the change in administration with the election of Donald Trump, ongoing investigations into big tech companies like Microsoft are not expected to be dropped, though enforcement priorities may evolve.