Japan Raids Microsoft in Antitrust Probe Over Azure and Microsoft 365 Access

Overview

• Japan’s Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-site inspection at Microsoft Japan’s Tokyo office on Feb. 25 as part of an antitrust investigation.
• Authorities are examining whether Microsoft set conditions that effectively blocked access to Microsoft 365 and other services on rival cloud platforms.
• A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is fully cooperating with the commission’s requests.
• A source told Reuters the JFTC plans to seek clarification from Microsoft’s U.S. parent during the inquiry.
• The action comes as regulators in the UK, EU, U.S., and Brazil review Microsoft’s cloud practices, and after recent JFTC cases involving Google and Amazon Japan, with no findings announced to date.