- Dali prints found in London garage sold at auction
- ECB chief backs bank mergers amid UniCredit, Commerzbank talk
- China stocks soar on stimulus, but US and Europe retreat
- 100 dead in storm Helene damage, flooding across US southeast
- China stocks soar on stimulus, Europe slides on automaker woes
- German antitrust watchdog steps up monitoring of Microsoft
- Nepal's urban poor count cost of 'nightmare' floods
- E.Guinea, Gabon clash at ICJ over oil-rich islands
- New blow for UK's Starmer as growth data disappoints
- China's top banks to tweak mortgage rates to boost housing market
- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
NGG | -0.06% | 69.69 | $ | |
BP | 0.51% | 31.58 | $ | |
SCS | 1.47% | 13.346 | $ | |
BTI | -0.88% | 36.52 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.21% | 24.72 | $ | |
GSK | -0.06% | 40.685 | $ | |
RYCEF | -0.14% | 7.03 | $ | |
BCC | 0.19% | 141.76 | $ | |
RIO | -0.22% | 71.075 | $ | |
BCE | -0.43% | 35.04 | $ | |
JRI | 0.42% | 13.637 | $ | |
RBGPF | 7.18% | 64.75 | $ | |
AZN | -0.05% | 77.585 | $ | |
VOD | -0.4% | 10.05 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.28% | 25.011 | $ | |
RELX | -1.07% | 47.055 | $ |
German antitrust watchdog steps up monitoring of Microsoft
Germany's anti-cartel watchdog said Monday it had placed US tech giant Microsoft under closer surveillance for any possible abuse of its market position.
The Federal Cartel Office said it had determined Microsoft was "of paramount significance for competition across markets", a move that would allow the watchdog to take action and prohibit "anti-competitive practices".
Microsoft joins Apple, Amazon, Google parent company Alphabet, and Meta in falling under reinforced monitoring made possible by the German Competition Act, which came into force in 2021.
The act allows the watchdog, known in German as the Bundeskartellamt, to intervene earlier, particularly against the world's tech giants.
"Microsoft's many products are omnipresent in companies, authorities and private households and have become indispensable," Bundeskartellamt president Andreas Mundt said in a statement.
The company has had a dominant position with its Windows operating system "for many years now", he said, and has established a very strong presence for its Office products and other software.
Microsoft has also significantly grown its Azure cloud platform and is increasingly using artificial intelligence, including through its Copilot AI assistant and partnerships such as the tie-up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI.
"Today Microsoft's ecosystem is stronger and more closely interconnected than ever before," Mundt said.
Microsoft's financial strength and wide reach have also allowed it to quickly build up strong positions in new markets, the statement added, citing video and messaging app Teams, the Xbox gaming console and professional networking platform LinkedIn as examples.
The watchdog stressed that its latest decision "applies to Microsoft as a whole, not only to individual services or products".
In a response, Microsoft said it recognised its "responsibility to support a healthy competitive environment".
"We will strive to be proactive, collaborative and responsible in working with the Bundeskartellamt," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
Big tech companies have been facing increasing scrutiny around the globe in recent years over their dominant positions as well as their tax practices.
The European Commission has already opened an investigation into Microsoft's Teams video and messaging app.
Microsoft tried to assuage the EU's concerns by untying Teams in Europe before expanding the policy to around the world in April.
But in June, the commission indicated that the changes were not enough, saying Microsoft violated EU anti-trust rules by bundling Teams with its popular Office suite.
A.Zimmermann--CPN