FTC eyes Microsoft’s cloud practices amid antitrust scrutiny

Computerworld November 15, 2024
Gyana Swain

US regulators are said to be investigating Microsoft over alleged market abuse in cloud services.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly preparing to investigate Microsoft for potentially anti-competitive practices in its cloud computing division. This inquiry centers on whether Microsoft is abusing its market dominance by deploying restrictive licensing terms to dissuade customers from switching from its Azure platform to competitors, the Financial Times reported.

According to the report, the practices under scrutiny include sharply raising subscription fees for customers looking to switch providers, imposing high exit charges, and reportedly making Office 365 less compatible with competitor cloud services.

The investigation reflects the agency’s broader push, led by FTC Chair Lina Khan, to address Big Tech’s influence in...

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