Google drops EU antitrust complaint against Microsoft cloud amid EU investigation

BRUSSELS Alphabets Google has decided to withdraw its European Union antitrust complaint concerning Microsofts cloud computing practices. This comes just a week after EU regulators began investigating whether Microsoft should fall under regulations designed to limit its influence in the cloud market.

Last year, Google filed the complaint with the European Commission, claiming that Microsofts practices in the cloud sector restricted customers to using its Azure platform. In terms of market share, Amazon remains the leader with 30%, followed by Microsoft at 20% and Google at 13%.

"We are formally retracting our complaint regarding Microsoft following the recent announcement that the European Commission will evaluate potential issues in the cloud sector through a separate procedure," wrote Giorgia Abeltino, senior director for Google Cloud Europe, in a blog post. "Our efforts continue in collaboration with policymakers, clients, and regulators across the EU, the UK, and other regions to promote openness and choice in cloud services."

The European Commission, which oversees competition enforcement in the EU, is examining whether specific cloud sector practices may be consolidating the market power of Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. The inquiry, expected to conclude within a year, could result in both companies being classified as gatekeepers under the EU Digital Markets Act, subjecting them to regulations designed to foster competition and provide users with more options.

Author: Sophia Brooks