欧盟对微软Office应用捆绑Teams行为展开反垄断调查

Core Points - The European Union (EU) has initiated an antitrust investigation into Microsoft's bundling of its Teams application with other Office applications, marking the first such investigation in over a decade [1] - The EU Commission is concerned that Microsoft's practices may constitute anti-competitive bundling, potentially hindering competition in the office communication and video application market [1][2] - If found in violation of EU antitrust regulations, Microsoft could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue [1] Summary by Sections - Antitrust Investigation: The EU's investigation focuses on whether Microsoft provides a distribution advantage to Teams by not allowing users to opt-out of the application when purchasing the Microsoft 365 suite [1] - Previous Complaints: Concerns about Teams' potential monopoly first arose in 2020 when Slack, a competitor, filed a complaint with the EU, claiming that Microsoft's bundling practices forced millions of users to install Teams without the option to remove it [2] - Microsoft's Response: A Microsoft spokesperson stated that the company respects the EU's work on the case and is committed to cooperating with the EU Commission to address its concerns [2] - Historical Context: The last time Microsoft faced an EU antitrust investigation was in 2009 regarding its Internet Explorer browser, which was also bundled with the Windows operating system [2] - Recent Transactions: Microsoft's recent $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is also under EU scrutiny due to potential impacts on competition in the gaming console and cloud gaming markets [2]