The FTC’s Microsoft antitrust probe reportedly focuses on software program 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 alleged to be choosing up steam, in line with 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 studies from Bloomberg and the Financial Times in November about an FTC probe into the Home windows maker. The publications mentioned Microsoft’s opponents complained that its bundling of its well-liked software program with cloud companies made it tougher to compete. ProPublica says FTC attorneys have not too long ago 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 handy over info associated to the case. A Microsoft spokesperson advised the publication — with out offering on-the-record examples — that the FTC doc is “broad, broad ranging, and requests issues which are out of the realm of chance to even be logical.”

The investigation follows a separate ProPublica report from November about how Microsoft appeared to take advantage of 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 mentioned to have provided to improve the federal government’s present bundles (together with Home windows and its Workplace suite) to a dearer model that added its superior cybersecurity merchandise. Microsoft additionally despatched consultants to put in the upgrades and practice workers to make use of them.

Many divisions of the US authorities accepted — together with the entire Protection Division’s navy companies — after which started paying for the dearer bundles after the trial ended. (The trouble of switching to a special 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 broaden gross sales and pad its backside line. Simply late-stage capitalism issues, y’all.

Sarcastically, 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 reliable workers and probe delicate info 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 a substitute of danger dropping enterprise.

In line with consultants who spoke to ProPublica, the federal government trial gross sales scheme may have violated laws on contracting and competitors. The publication reported that even Microsoft’s attorneys fearful the deal would spark antitrust considerations.

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.