Google accuses Microsoft of misleading customers into Azure contracts in a complaint filed

Google has submitted an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), arguing that the software behemoth stifles competition by molesting its dominant position in the cloud computing sector. The primary focus of the criticism is

Microsoft's decision to bundle its Windows operating system with its Azure cloud services. Due to this bundling, Google contends that Azure has an unfair advantage over other cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

In addition, Google further claims that Microsoft is preventing users from transferring to other cloud computing platforms by abusing its dominant position in the market. For instance, according to Google, Microsoft has made it challenging for users to transfer their data from Azure to other platforms. 

Microsoft has engaged in anti-competitive practices, such as bundling its cloud services with its Windows and Office software, limiting data interoperability, gaming search results to disadvantage rivals, and unfairly using discounts and loyalty programs to lock in customers. Google claims that these actions have decreased innovation, raised customer pricing, and resulted in inferior quality and more significant entry hurdles for alternative cloud providers.

Conclusion

Google's protest comes when regulators in the US and other nations pay more attention to internet firms. The FTC has yet to respond to the complaint, despite having the power to investigate and enforce antitrust laws. Microsoft has refuted the claims and defended its business practices by claiming that it provides various services associated with cloud services.