Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Google has withdrawn its antitrust complaint against Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) over the company’s cloud computing practices in the European Union, following the launch of a broader EU investigation into the sector.
The complaint, originally filed by Google in 2024, alleged that Microsoft engaged in anti-competitive licensing practices that locked customers into its Azure cloud platform.
Google said on Friday that it was withdrawing the complaint after the European Commission announced it would examine potentially problematic practices in the cloud sector under a more comprehensive process.
“Today, we are withdrawing it [the complaint] in light of the recent announcement that the EC will assess problematic practices affecting the cloud sector under a separate process,” Giorgia Abeltino, head of government affairs and public policy for Google Cloud Europe, wrote in a blog post.
Abeltino added that Google would continue to work with policymakers, customers, and regulators across the EU, the UK, and other regions to promote choice and openness in the cloud market.
The European Commission, the EU’s competition authority, has opened a year-long investigation to assess whether Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) hold excessive market power. The inquiry could result in both companies being designated as gatekeepers under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which would subject them to rules aimed at increasing market access for rivals and giving users more choice.