Microsoft Faces 1 Billion Uk Lawsuit Over Alleged Anti-competitive Cloud Pricing

Microsoft is facing a 1 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom over alleged anti-competitive pricing practices in its cloud computing services. The lawsuit, led by competition lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi, accuses the tech giant of overcharging businesses that use rival cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services AWS, Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud, to host its widely used Windows Server software.

The case claims that Microsoft offers significantly lower licensing fees for Windows Server software hosted on its own Azure cloud platform, while charging higher fees for the same software when hosted on competitors' platforms. This, according to the lawsuit, penalizes businesses that choose alternative cloud solutions and restricts competition within the industry.

Stasi emphasized, "Microsoft is punishing UK businesses and organizations for using Google, Amazon, and Alibaba for cloud computing by forcing them to pay more money for Windows Server." The lawsuit argues that Microsofts actions are designed to push customers toward using its Azure platform and limit competition in the cloud services market.