Google pulls EU antitrust complaint against Microsoft

Google withdrew its antitrust complaint against Microsoft after EU regulators opened a new probe into Azure under the bloc’s tough tech rules.

Driving the news. Google pulled its 2024 complaint – focused on Microsoft’s allegedly anti-competitive cloud licensing – just as the European Commission opened new investigations into whether Azure and Amazon Web Services fall under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The withdrawal doesn’t mean Google is backing down, the company said.

What they’re saying. “We filed our antitrust complaint…to give voice to our customers and partners,” said Giorgia Abeltino, Google Cloud Europe’s head of public policy. She added that Google still stands behind the concerns raised.

Why we care. Cloud competition directly affects the speed, pricing, and reliability of the tools advertisers use every day. The EU’s new probe into Microsoft’s cloud practices could reshape the infrastructure behind many ad-tech tools, measurement systems, and AI workflows. If regulators force changes to Azure’s licensing or market behavior, it could open the door to more competition, lower costs, and better interoperability across analytics, automation, and advertising platforms.

Catch-up quick. Google accused Microsoft of using restrictive software licensing that made competing clouds less attractive.

• The complaint came soon after Microsoft settled a similar dispute with the cloud group CISPE.
• Other Microsoft and Amazon divisions already fall under the DMA, including Windows and Amazon’s marketplace.

What’s next. The EU will continue to closely monitor cloud competition.

The WSJ story. Google Withdraws EU Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft After New Probe Launched (subscription required)