On Monday, Germany’s competition regulator classified Microsoft as a “company with paramount cross-market significance for competition,” allowing the agency to impose stricter measures against the tech giant. Andreas Mundt, head of the Bundeskartellamt, noted that Microsoft’s extensive range of products is deeply embedded across businesses, public sectors, and households, making its ecosystem stronger and more interconnected than ever.
This new designation, also given to Apple, Google, and Meta, subjects Microsoft to stricter scrutiny and potential bans on anti-competitive behavior. A Microsoft spokesperson responded by acknowledging the company’s responsibility to maintain a competitive environment and expressed a commitment to cooperate with the Bundeskartellamt.
In June, Microsoft faced an antitrust fine from the European Commission for unfairly bundling its Teams app with its Office suite, disadvantaging competitors like Slack. The German regulator emphasized that the new classification applies to Microsoft’s entire operation, not just individual products or services.
source: reuters
