Spanish startup group filed a complaint against Microsoft with the Spanish antitrust regulator on Tuesday, adding to the string of grievances over the tech giant’s cloud computing practices. Following a similar complaint from a trade group to the EU, Microsoft faces scrutiny over its rapidly expanding cloud services, challenging market leader Amazon. The complaint, lodged by the Spanish Startup Association representing over 700 startups, accuses Microsoft of leveraging its dominant position in operating systems and productivity software to push its Azure cloud services.
Allegedly, Microsoft imposed barriers to data portability and contractual conditions that hinder competition, limiting startups’ ability to compete fairly. The association urges the Spanish competition watchdog to investigate and ensure a competitive market. President Carlos Mateo emphasized the importance of equality in competition, asserting that all companies should have the opportunity to compete and thrive in the technology sector.
This complaint echoes concerns raised by Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE), which includes Amazon, about Microsoft’s new contract terms and other practices impacting the European cloud computing ecosystem. Both the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority are investigating Microsoft’s practices, reflecting the growing scrutiny over the tech giant’s role in the cloud computing market.