Microsoft avoids antitrust suits… for the moment
The Biden and even the Trump administrations have come down hard on Big Tech at times, launching or continuing antitrust lawsuits against Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. Microsoft has so far avoided one, with the exception of an FTC lawsuit against the company’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, which the FTC lost. Even if the agency had won, however, the suit wouldn’t have affected the core of Microsoft’s business in the way prosecutions could hurt the other big tech companies.
Microsoft has been worried about a federal antitrust lawsuit because in late November 2024, the FTC launched a broad investigation into the company’s AI, cloud computing, security, and Teams products. At the heart of the probe was the way Microsoft might have violated antitrust laws by bundling cloud computing products and Teams with its office and security products. The investigation was also looking into whether the company was gaining too much market dominance in AI.
Now, more than a year later, there hasn’t been a peep about it. That likely means the investigation has foundered. The company appears to be in the clear for now. Trump frequently uses the power of the federal government to attack and prosecute his enemies. If he turns against Microsoft, don’t be surprised if the investigation suddenly takes on steam in 2026.
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