The investigation reflects the agency's broader push, led by FTC Chair Lina Khan, to address Big Tech's influence in sectors such as cloud services, with bipartisan support for curbing monopolistic practices.
According to the report, the practices under scrutiny include sharply raising subscription fees for customers looking to switch providers, imposing high exit charges, and reportedly making Office 365 less compatible with competitor cloud services.
Interoperability and the fear of vendor lock-in are important criteria for enterprises selecting cloud vendors. This could create a negative perception of Microsoft.
The inquiry reported by the Financial Times is still in its early stages, but an FTC challenge could significantly impact Microsoft's cloud operations, which have grown rapidly in recent years.
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