microsoft is under investigation by Germany’s antitrust authority, the Federal Cartel Office (or Bundeskartellamt), over its market power in technology and gaming. If the regulator determines that Microsoft is a company “of the utmost importance to market competition”, it could be subject to special regulation that will prevent anti-competitive practices.
FCO Chairman Andreas Mundt explains why Microsoft may be subject to increased antitrust regulation in an official statement:
With Windows and its Office products, Microsoft has a very strong and very old position on operating systems and office software… In addition, Microsoft is also active in other areas, including gaming with its Xbox, networking professionals with its LinkedIn service. or searches on the Internet with its Bing search engine.
In 2022, the FCO determined that its special abuse controls would apply to Google, Meta, and Amazon, and Amazon attempted to appeal that decision. Adding Microsoft to this list will allow the FCO to crack down on any current or future anti-competitive behavior.
A Microsoft spokesperson responded with a statement (via TechCrunch), saying it is “aware of (its) increased responsibility to support a healthy competitive environment” and wants to “engage constructively with the Bundeskartellamt.”
Luckily for Microsoft, its acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been cleared by Japan and it looks like it might be cleared in the UK.