The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is intensifying its investigation into Microsoft's dominance in the world of business software, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. With a sharp focus on Microsoft's widely used products like Windows, Office, and its AI Copilot, regulators are probing claims that Microsoft may be leveraging its market power to unfairly push AI offerings onto its users and lock out competitors. Subpoenas have gone out to at least six rival companies, demanding deep insight into Microsoft's licensing, bundling, and cross-platform compatibility practices.

Central to the probe is whether Microsoft's integration of AI, security, and identity services into its dominant platforms effectively stymies fair competition by making it harder for customers to use competing cloud services or alternative software. Launched under Lina Khan during the Biden Administration and continuing under the Trump Administration's FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, this sweeping inquiry marks one of the toughest regulatory challenges to Microsoft's grip on enterprise technology since the 1990s. As the FTC consults with various companies and industry experts, the growing scrutiny signals that regulators are prepared to confront tech giants who may be using their position to reshape user choice and the future of AI and cloud technology.