Google Files Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft in EU Over Cloud Licensing

Google alleges Microsoft's cloud licensing practices are anti-competitive, forcing customers to choose Azure through restrictive pricing.

Google's complaint to the European Commission claims Microsoft's licensing changes make it costlier to run Windows Server on non-Azure clouds.
The complaint follows a similar antitrust case filed by CISPE in 2022, which Microsoft settled for $22 million without including Google.
Google argues that Microsoft's practices limit customer choice and create a vendor lock-in, leveraging its software monopoly to dominate the cloud market.
Research commissioned by CISPE found European businesses pay up to €1 billion annually in additional costs due to Microsoft's licensing policies.
The European Commission has acknowledged receipt of Google's complaint and will assess it under standard procedures.