Abuse of market power?

Microsoft in the sights of US antitrust regulator FTC

According to an insider, the US antitrust regulator, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has launched a wide-ranging investigation into Microsoft. The investigation also relates to the software licensing and cloud computing business, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The authority is investigating allegations that the software giant is abusing its market power by preventing its customers from transferring their data from its Azure cloud service to other competing platforms with punitive licensing terms. Microsoft declined to comment on the matter. The FTC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The investigation was authorized by FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan before her likely resignation in January. Following Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, he is expected to appoint a Republican who will take a softer approach to businesses.

FTC lawyers will meet with Microsoft competitors next week to gather more information about the tech company's business practices, according to a report by Bloomberg.