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jili369 F.T.C. Launches Antitrust Investigation Into Microsoft
The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into whether Microsoft has violated antitrust law in multiple segments of its wide-ranging business, according to two people familiar with the inquiry, the latest salvo in a battle by the government to rein in the most powerful tech companies.
The agency recently sent a long and detailed formal request for information to the company asking about its cloud computing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity products, the people said. Of particular interest to the F.T.C. is the way that Microsoft bundles its cloud computing offerings with office and security products, they added, alongside the company’s growing power in the artificial intelligence space.
The aggressive move by the F.T.C. comes as its chair, Lina Khan, is probably heading out the door with less than two months left in the Biden administration. Ms. Khan, 35, has pushed the agency to police big companies and has tried to get ahead of fast-moving changes in the technology industry.
Ms. Khan is expected to leave her post as part of the transition to the administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, after which the focus of tech regulation could change.
The inquiry into Microsoft continues the Biden administration’s scrutiny of the biggest tech companies over the way people consume information, communicate and shop online. Already, the F.T.C. has sued Amazon and Meta, accusing them of anticompetitive behavior and stifling rivals. The Justice Department has also sued Google over its dominance in advertising technology, and Apple for making it difficult for consumers to leave its tightly knit universe of devices and software.
Microsoft, one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a disparate business that includes its Windows operating software, social media platform LinkedIn and video game platform Xbox, had largely escaped the recent ramp-up in antitrust scrutiny.
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