Google has recently taken its disagreement with Microsoft regarding cloud computing to a new level by filing an antitrust complaint in the European Union. Google accused Microsoft of engaging in anticompetitive practices through its licensing tactics that reportedly restrict business customers to solely utilizing Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. According to Google, these practices inhibit competition, increase costs for businesses, and expose them to greater security risks.

In response, Microsoft stated that it had previously settled similar concerns with European cloud providers in a friendly manner, despite Google’s hopes for extended litigation. The Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe, a group of European cloud providers, withdrew their complaint against Microsoft after reaching an agreement with the company. Microsoft expressed skepticism about Google’s ability to convince the European Commission, highlighting their failed attempts to persuade European companies.

Google specifically pointed to Microsoft’s altered licensing terms in 2019, which introduced significant financial penalties for businesses seeking to utilize Windows Server software on alternative platforms like Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services, despite no technical barriers to such a transition. Google argued that vendor lock-in poses increased security threats, citing a global tech outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike that impacted various sectors including aviation, banking, and healthcare systems.