Microsoft is raising the alarm over alleged leaks from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), calling for an investigation by the agency’s inspector general into whether FTC management improperly disclosed details of its antitrust probe into the tech giant.
The findings, Microsoft insists, should be made public.
The controversy stems from a Bloomberg report last week, later confirmed by The Verge, which revealed that the FTC is investigating Microsoft’s operations in cloud computing, software licensing, AI, and cybersecurity. According to Rima Alaily, Microsoft’s corporate VP and deputy general counsel, the information in the report strongly suggests it came from within the FTC, potentially violating its own ethics rules.
“The existence of an FTC investigation is nonpublic information,” as stated in the agency’s ethics guidelines. While certain disclosures may be made in the public interest, Alaily argued in her letter that the Bloomberg story is part of a growing trend of strategic leaks from the FTC. She pointed to a September report from the FTC’s inspector general citing a “steadily increasing” number of unauthorized disclosures to the media.
Microsoft claims it first learned of the investigation through the Bloomberg report and was unable to get confirmation from the FTC about the probe or the reported information demand. Alaily called the situation emblematic of broader frustrations with the FTC’s transparency and conduct.
This comes at a time when Microsoft is adopting a more assertive stance in addressing antitrust scrutiny. Just last month, Alaily accused Google of funding groups to undermine Microsoft in the eyes of regulators and the public.
While Microsoft has generally stayed out of the antitrust spotlight compared to other Big Tech players like Google and Meta, it’s facing increasing scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe. Issues surrounding cybersecurity, its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and its partnership with OpenAI have put the company under closer regulatory watch.
As the FTC investigation develops, all eyes will be on how the agency handles Microsoft’s accusations—and whether this public spat signals a shift in the tech giant’s approach to regulatory battles.
