EU eyes Microsoft ‘antitrust’ Teams

Microsoft is reportedly facing a fresh antitrust crackdown by European regulators over alleged anticompetitive tactics to boost its Teams virtual-meeting software.

The European Commission, the European Union’s antitrust watchdog, is moving forward with plans to file formal charges against Microsoft, sources familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.

The probe is reportedly centered on concerns that Microsoft has stifled attempts to compete with Teams by making it run more efficiently when used with its other software. Additionally, a lack of data portability for Teams users has purportedly made it difficult for customers to switch to rival services.

The charges could be announced within the next few weeks, according to the FT. European Commission officials are reportedly set to meet with Microsoft’s rivals this week.

Microsoft can still avoid a formal lawsuit in the EU if it can reach a settlement regarding its business practices, according to the FT. EU regulators could also decide to delay the suit or hold off from filing it entirely.

Still, the antitrust crackdown on Teams gained steam even after Microsoft made an initial round of concessions last month.

The commission declined to comment. Microsoft reiterated that it would “continue to engage with the commission.”