Qwant Urges French Antitrust Regulator to Act Against Microsoft Over Alleged Market Abuse

Qwant, which has long depended on Microsoft’s Bing to power its search results, claims the U.S. tech giant is leveraging its dominant market position to damage the competitiveness of smaller players. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that Qwant is pushing for the French competition regulator to take interim measures while a broader investigation is considered.

The Autorité de la Concurrence has reportedly reached out to other search engine operators for input on the matter. A decision on whether to implement temporary relief and open a full inquiry is expected by September, per Reuters.

Interim actions from the French regulator are rare and typically reserved for cases where there is clear evidence of market abuse causing significant and immediate harm to the complainant. The competition authority, as well as Qwant, declined to comment publicly on the case.

Related: Microsoft Under French Antitrust Investigation Over Bing Practices

A Microsoft spokesperson responded to the allegations by stating, “This complaint lacks merit. We are fully cooperating with the Autorité’s investigation,” referencing the French watchdog.

Qwant’s situation highlights the challenges faced by smaller European search engines that rely on backend services provided by larger competitors like Microsoft. According to Reuters, these smaller firms worry that Microsoft’s control over search syndication could be used to limit competition by degrading service or discontinuing access altogether.

If the French antitrust body finds Microsoft in violation of competition rules, the company could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue—a significant penalty for any multinational corporation.

Source: Reuters