Microsoft faces EU antitrust probe for tying Teams to Office suite

[phillynews215]

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• The European Commission accused Microsoft of violating antitrust laws by tying Teams to its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites.
• The investigation was sparked by a complaint from Slack Technologies, Inc. last year.
• Microsoft could face substantial fines and be forced to implement changes if found in violation of EU antitrust rules.

Microsoft finds itself in hot water with the European Commission, the EUs executive body, over allegations of antitrust violations. The tech giant is accused of leveraging its dominance in the productivity software market by tying its communication platform, Microsoft Teams, to its popular Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites.

This move by the Commission comes amid growing scrutiny of Big Techs influence in Europe and follows recent legal tussles with Apple over App Store policies. Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager highlighted the importance of fair competition, stating, “Preserving competition for remote communication and collaboration tools is essential as it also fosters innovation on these markets.”




More...