technology
UK regulator launches probe into Microsoft for possible strategic market status
The UK Competition and Markets Authority will examine whether Microsoft holds strategic market status, citing concerns about competition in cloud and productivity software; the probe starts in May and follows prior inquiries and a 2025 cloud deal with Amazon.
Mar 31st 2026 ยท United Kingdom
Insights
- The Competition and Markets Authority will begin an investigation in May to assess whether Microsoft should be designated strategic market status.
- The CMA has a major concern that Microsoft may be limiting competition in the cloud market through products including Word, Excel, Teams, Copilot and Windows.
- Designation as strategic market status would give the CMA powers to impose remedies on Microsoft.
- Following a 2025 inquiry, Microsoft and Amazon agreed measures on egress fees and interoperability to reduce cost and effort for UK cloud customers.
- The CMA previously investigated Microsoft in 2023 over its relationship with OpenAI and in 2024 over hires from Inflection AI.