Microsoft is being probed by Germany’s antitrust authority, called the Federal Cartel Office (or Bundeskartellamt), on its market power in tech and gaming. If the regulator determines that Microsoft is a company “of paramount significance for competition across markets,” it could be subject to special regulations that will prevent anti-competitive practices.
Microsoft could be subject to special antitrust regulations like Google and Meta
Andreas Mundt, president of the FCO, makes the case for why Microsoft could be subject to further antitrust regulation in an official statement:
With Windows and its Office products Microsoft has had a long-standing and very strong position with regard to operating systems and office software… In addition, Microsoft is also active in other areas, including gaming with its Xbox, career networks with its service LinkedIn or internet searching with its search engine Bing.
In 2022, the FCO determined that its special abuse controls would apply to Google, Meta, and Amazon, with Amazon attempting to appeal this decision. If Microsoft is included in this list, it will allow the FCO to crack down on any of its current or future anti-competitive behavior.
A spokesperson for Microsoft responded with a statement (via TechCrunch), stating that it is “mindful of [its] heightened responsibility to support a healthy competitive environment” and wishes to “engage constructively with the Bundeskartellamt.”
Fortunately for Microsoft, its acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been approved by Japan and looks like it could be approved in the UK.
