EU Accepts Microsoft Commitments Ending Teams Antitrust Probe

The European Commission has accepted Microsoft's commitments to unbundle its Teams app from the Office software package, ending a long-running antitrust investigation that began in 2023. Microsoft will offer customers in the European Economic Area versions of Office 365 without Teams at a lower price, a move designed to foster fair competition and address concerns that Teams' bundling crowded out rival messaging apps. EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera emphasized that Microsoft's binding commitments, effective for at least seven years, will prevent tying practices that hinder competitor access. Microsoft expressed appreciation for the dialogue with the Commission and pledged to promptly implement the new obligations. This resolution avoids a hefty EU fine and is viewed as a positive development amid tense EU-US relations under President Trump's administration, which has seen recent clashes over regulatory penalties against Silicon Valley firms. Critics, however, have dismissed the concessions as limited, though the Commission believes the changes restore competitive balance in the collaboration software market.