The FTC’s Microsoft antitrust probe reportedly focuses on software bundling

The Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) is reportedly investigating Microsoft prefer it’s 1998. Within the waning days of the Biden administration, outgoing chair Lina Khan’s probe is claimed to be selecting up steam, in response to ProPublica. The FTC is especially involved with Microsoft’s bundling of ubiquitous Office products with cybersecurity and cloud computing companies. That features a deal to improve authorities bundles for a restricted time, which primarily had the impact of utilizing a authorities cybersecurity disaster to promote extra licenses.

It provides extra element to experiences from Bloomberg and the Financial Times in November about an FTC probe into the Home windows maker. The publications stated Microsoft’s opponents complained that its bundling of its standard software program with cloud companies made it more durable to compete. ProPublica says FTC attorneys have lately interviewed and scheduled conferences with Microsoft’s opponents.

Microsoft confirmed to ProPublica that the FTC issued a civil investigative demand (primarily a subpoena), forcing the corporate at hand over data associated to the case. A Microsoft spokesperson informed the publication — with out offering on-the-record examples — that the FTC doc is “broad, large ranging, and requests issues which are out of the realm of risk to even be logical.”

The investigation follows a separate ProPublica report from November about how Microsoft appeared to use a sequence of cyberattacks to promote extra licenses to the US authorities. Following a gathering with President Biden in the summertime of 2021, the corporate was stated to have supplied to improve the federal government’s present bundles (together with Home windows and its Workplace suite) to a costlier model that added its superior cybersecurity merchandise. Microsoft additionally despatched consultants to put in the upgrades and prepare workers to make use of them.

Many divisions of the US authorities accepted — together with all the Protection Division’s army companies — after which started paying for the costlier bundles after the trial ended. (The trouble of switching to a distinct cybersecurity product after the trial ended virtually assured that will be the case.) ProPublica’s account primarily paints Microsoft as exploiting a cybersecurity disaster to develop gross sales and pad its backside line. Simply late-stage capitalism issues, y’all.

Mockingly, the gross sales tactic resulted from safety lapses from — you guessed it — Microsoft. Biden’s request from Huge Tech leaders to spice up authorities cybersecurity adopted the SolarWinds assault that exploited a vulnerability in a Microsoft identity service. The corporate reportedly knew the app contained a “safety nightmare” that permit hackers spoof official workers and probe delicate data with out elevating suspicion. However patching the flaw would add friction to authorities logins when the corporate was competing for US contracts. Microsoft reportedly opted to remain mum as an alternative of danger shedding enterprise.

In accordance with consultants who spoke to ProPublica, the federal government trial gross sales scheme might have violated rules on contracting and competitors. The publication reported that even Microsoft’s attorneys anxious the deal would spark antitrust issues.

If this sounds acquainted, it echoes the federal government’s 1998 antitrust lawsuit in opposition to Microsoft. Bundling was additionally a star of that present, with the FTC accusing the corporate of partaking in anticompetitive practices by together with Web Explorer with Home windows, a transfer seen in these early days of the web as stifling rivals like Netscape.