The European Commission has accused Microsoft of breaking EU antitrust rules by bundling its Teams communication app with its subscription services.
The regulator, which is the executive body of the EU, has indicated on Tuesday (June 25) the action to link Teams to Microsoft 365 and Office 365 back in 2019 was an abuse of market dominance. Users did not have a choice in opting for Teams, with its access included with the regular packages.
After a complaint from rival platform Slack in 2020, the European Commission opened its probe with its initial determination now revealed.
“The European Commission has informed Microsoft of its preliminary view that Microsoft has breached EU antitrust rules by tying its communication and collaboration product Teams to its popular productivity applications included in its suites for businesses Office 365 and Microsoft 365,” said the statement of objections, issued to companies to inform of concerns raised against them.
Microsoft has since offered service without Teams, but the EU regulator believes the changes don’t go far enough, with more action required to restore competition.
The US tech giant was forced to pay $2.4 billion around 20 years ago for similar breaches of EU antitrust rules for tying, or bundling, two or more products together and related offenses. It now faces a further serious sanction, which could be as much as 10% of its global turnover total if the company is found guilty of the latest alleged infringement.
This is another example of how the EU is taking stringent action against what it considers to be ‘gatekeepers’ in Big Tech, including Apple and Microsoft, especially with the introduction of the new Digital Markets Act.
In response, Microsoft President Brad Smith referenced comments made earlier this month about the company’s openness to find a solution to the impasse. On that occasion, he stated, “I expect we will take additional steps. On Teams, we have done a lot of work, (but) our work isn’t yet done.”
“Microsoft is committed to find a resolution to regulators’ concerns,” Smith said.
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