Trump’s FTC advances broad antitrust probe of Microsoft: Report

Microsoft and the FTC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is moving ahead with an antitrust probe of Microsoft that was opened in the waning days of the Biden administration, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The FTC staff have in the recent weeks been meeting companies and other groups to gather information, the report said. Microsoft and the FTC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The FTC had last year opened a sweeping antitrust investigation into Microsoft, including into its software licensing and cloud computing businesses, Reuters had reported in November.

The investigation was approved by then FTC chair Lina Khan ahead of her departure. Andrew Ferguson became the new chair when President Donald Trump took office in January.

The FTC is examining allegations that Microsoft is potentially abusing its market power in productivity software, such as by imposing punitive licensing terms to prevent customers from moving from its Azure cloud service to rival platforms.

The agency has asked Microsoft details about its data centers, its struggles to find enough computing power to meet customer demand and information about licensing rule changes expected later this year, the Bloomberg report said.

Microsoft’s decision to cut funding on its own artificial intelligence projects after striking a deal with OpenAI, is also under scrutiny, the report said.

It has also been looking into Microsoft’s practices related to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence products.