Washington, D.C. – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated an antitrust inquiry into technology giant Microsoft, following reports aligning with previous coverage by the Financial Times.
Reports suggest that the FTC is delving into potential antitrust violations by Microsoft across various sectors of its operations, including public cloud services, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity offerings. Of particular focus for the agency is Microsoft’s bundling strategy, which involves combining its cloud products with office and security tools, as highlighted by The New York Times.
This probe comes at a time when the FTC’s chair, Lina Khan, is expected to step down with the transition to a new administration led by Donald Trump. The future direction under Trump regarding the regulation of major tech companies remains uncertain, with the Biden administration having taken legal action against firms like Amazon, Meta, Google, and Apple for alleged anticompetitive behavior.
Under Biden’s tenure, the FTC filed lawsuits against Amazon and Meta, accusing them of stifling competition. Similarly, the Justice Department targeted Google for its dominance in ad tech, and Apple for creating barriers that make it challenging for users to switch from its ecosystem. As the tech industry faces heightened scrutiny, the landscape for companies like Microsoft is increasingly complex.