The European Commission is delving into Microsoft’s possible violation of EU competition laws, following a complaint initiated by Slack three years earlier. The central issue revolves around Microsoft’s decision to bundle Teams with its product suites, a move Slack claims not only breaches antitrust laws but also prevents users from uninstalling the software.
Microsoft’s attempt in April to disentangle Teams from its Office suite as a measure to fend off an investigation seemingly fell short, leading to the present probe. The Commission expressed apprehensions that Microsoft might be unfairly favoring Teams by restricting customer choices and potentially curbing the interoperability between its productivity suites and rival products.
In response to these developments, a Microsoft representative stated their respect for the European Commission’s endeavors and assured their ongoing cooperation in seeking resolutions to the concerns raised.
Microsoft’s history with the European Commission has witnessed past confrontations. Notably, in 2009, Microsoft conceded to provide EU users with varied browser choices beyond the default Internet Explorer within Windows. However, in 2013, an inconsistency in executing this choice led to Microsoft facing a hefty fine of €561 million ($625 million). The outcome of this recent investigation remains uncertain, as the European Commission has not set a definitive timeframe for its conclusion.
