Google has withdrawn its antitrust complaint against Microsoft in the European Union, stepping back just days after EU regulators launched an extensive probe into whether Microsoft’s cloud business should face stricter competition rules.
The complaint, originally filed in 2023, accused Microsoft of creating anti-competitive barriers that pushed customers into using its Azure cloud platform. Google argued that Microsoft’s software licensing terms made it difficult and costly for businesses to use competing cloud providers.
The shift comes as the European Commission begins a broader investigation into the cloud computing industry—particularly the market power held by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. AWS currently leads the global cloud infrastructure market with roughly 30% share, followed by Microsoft at 20% and Google Cloud at 13%.
In a blog post, Giorgia Abeltino, head of government affairs and public policy for Google Cloud Europe, said the company is withdrawing the complaint “in light of the recent announcement that the European Commission will assess problematic practices affecting the cloud sector under a separate process.”
Abeltino added that Google will continue working with regulators and policymakers across Europe and the UK to promote “choice and openness” in the cloud ecosystem.
The European Commission’s ongoing probe will determine whether certain structural features of the cloud market are reinforcing the dominance of Azure and AWS. If so, both platforms could be designated as “gatekeepers” under the EU’s Digital Markets Act—placing them under strict obligations designed to boost competition and expand user choice.
The investigation is expected to conclude within a year and could have major implications for the future of cloud services across the European Union.
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