Google has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Union (EU) against Microsoft, accusing the company of exploiting its dominance in cloud computing.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Google claims Microsoft is leveraging its strong position in enterprise software to push companies toward using its Azure cloud services and making it difficult for them to switch providers.

A key issue raised by Google is a change Microsoft made to its licensing terms in 2019. 

The change allegedly penalizes Windows Server customers who opt for competing cloud services, thereby limiting their options and increasing costs.

Earlier this year, Microsoft settled a similar dispute with an industry group. However, Google argued in its complaint that the settlement didn’t go far enough to address the core problem.

 Google insists that this is the only way to eliminate Microsoft’s “vendor lock-in” practices.

When asked for a comment, Microsoft told The Wall Street Journal that it believes the settlement resolved the issues and expressed confidence that Google’s complaint would not convince the EU’s European Commission.

Microsoft has faced antitrust challenges in the EU before, including changes related to web browsers and platform elements. 

In June, the Commission found that Microsoft had abused its market power by bundling Teams with Microsoft 365 and Office 365 starting in April 2019.

It remains unclear whether Google’s complaint will succeed or if it will lead to any significant changes in cloud competition within the EU.

 If the Commission decides to pursue the case, it could lead to fines or penalties against Microsoft, but the legal process could take years.

This antitrust dispute highlights the growing importance of cloud computing to both Google and Microsoft. 

While past legal battles focused on search engines, software monopolies, and advertising, attention is now shifting to the cloud infrastructure that powers modern services.

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