Dr. Maria Luisa Stasi, Legal and Policy Director at Article19, a digital rights advocacy group, in the United KingdomClass action lawsuits initiated, accusing Microsoft of charging high Windows Server licensing fees to corporate organizations using AWS, Google Cloud or Alibaba Cloud cloud services, forcing these organizations to switch to Microsoft's Azure cloud services.
Dr. Maria Luisa Stasi believes that Microsoft's move violates market competition, alleging that Microsoft offers lower Windows Server licensing fees to organizations using Azure services, while charging higher licensing fees to organizations using its competitors' services, forcing them to switch to Microsoft cloud services or incur higher operating costs, which will create a significant expense burden for many small and medium-sized enterprises.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of all organizations using AWS, Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud, seeks £10 billion (approximately $12.7 billion) from Microsoft on behalf of no particular entity. If successful, all organizations using AWS, Google Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud will receive compensation, unless they opt out of the class action during the litigation process.
Microsoft is also currently facing accusations of monopoly in the cloud services market in the UK. The UK Competition and Markets Authority has been conducting an investigation for several months and will announce the results of the investigation as soon as possible.
In addition to facing investigations and accusations of affecting market competition in the UK, Microsoft is also facing accusations of affecting competition in the EU.thinkGoogle is using improper means to discredit Microsoft's cloud business in the eyes of regulators and policymakers in the EU and other regions, including by secretly funding CISPE members. Its purpose is to attack Microsoft's cloud business in the UK and the EU, and to make the cost of using Microsoft's cloud services "relatively high" through sponsorship.
