A South African antitrust agency is poised to launch an investigation into Microsoft over its cloud computing licensing practices, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke to Reuters on Thursday.
The case against Microsoft in South Africa is expected to resemble the antitrust case in the European Union, the source added.
Microsoft responded in an emailed statement, stating that the company is not aware of any complaint filed by the South African competition authority.
The competition agency in South Africa did not promptly respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Meanwhile, the U.S. software giant is facing a complaint from rivals in the EU regarding its cloud computing licensing practices in the region.
CISPE, an industry group comprising members such as Amazon.com and 26 smaller EU cloud providers, filed a complaint in late 2022, alleging that Microsoft’s new contractual terms were detrimental to Europe’s cloud computing ecosystem.
After rivals in Germany, Italy, Denmark, and France brought their concerns to the EU competition watchdog, Microsoft revised its licensing terms in mid-2022.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Togo’s opposition calls for three-day mass protest over delayed parliamentary elections