US antitrust agency launches investigation into Microsoft

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an antitrust investigation into Microsoft (MSFT.O), ranging from the company's cloud computing and software licensing businesses to its cybersecurity products and artificial intelligence products, sources said. After more than a year of informal interviews with Microsoft's competitors and business partners, law enforcement officials have drafted a hundreds-page request for Microsoft to hand over relevant information. FTC antitrust lawyers will meet with Microsoft's competitors next week to gather more information. One focus of the current investigation is Microsoft's bundling of its popular office productivity and security software with cloud products. The FTC's scrutiny of Microsoft's cloud computing business has intensified after a series of cybersecurity incidents involving Microsoft products. Microsoft's lapses in cybersecurity, coupled with its status as a government contractor, are seen by the FTC as problematic for its power over the market. Part of the focus of the investigation is Microsoft's practices related to security software Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure Active Directory), which helps authenticate users to log in to cloud-based software.