The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is intensifying its investigation into Microsoft’s licensing and business practices, seeking information from the company’s rivals in the enterprise software and cloud computing markets. At least six companies have received demands for information, with a focus on Microsoft’s bundling of AI, security, and identity software into its offerings.

The FTC, under Chair Lina Khan, opened an investigation in 2024 to determine if Microsoft abused its market power by imposing punitive licensing terms that inhibit customers from switching to rival cloud platforms. Competitors argue that these practices lock customers into Microsoft’s Azure cloud service.

In response to criticisms, Google filed a complaint with the European Commission in September 2024, alleging that Microsoft is leveraging its dominant Windows Server operating system to stifle competition. Microsoft and the FTC have not yet provided comments on the matter.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: US FTC ramps up scrutiny of Microsoft over AI, cloud practices, questions rivals, Bloomberg reports