FTC Investigating Microsoft’s Operations Across AI, Cloud, And Gaming

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft’s business practices, requesting information to examine its operations.

The probe will focus on Microsoft’s activities across sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and gaming. This development follows Microsoft’s USD 69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which faced FTC resistance over monopoly concerns but was finalised in October 2023. Microsoft’s partnerships with OpenAI, have also drawn scrutiny earlier this year. The investigation comes amid questions about how the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump will approach antitrust cases. The FTC has faced challenges regulating big tech under current chair Lina Khan’s leadership, including setbacks in cases against Meta and other tech giants.