EU antitrust team probing Microsoft ties between Entra ID and 365 services

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Microsoft is the subject of yet another probe

A building at the Microsoft Headquarters campus in Redmond, Washington (2014).
(Image credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

Microsoft is under yet more scrutiny by the EU antitrust regulators, this time about the integration of cloud-based identity management system Entra ID with Microsoft’s suite of services, such as Microsoft 365.

An exclusive report by The Register details Google’s revelation that the European Union’s antitrust regulators are investigating whether Microsoft unfairly ties authentication to its Azure platform.

This won’t be the first probe into Redmond’s business practices, with the company already facing other investigations about its licensing terms for the cloud market and its productivity apps.

Microsoft Entra ID probe

Amit Zavery, VP/GM and Head of Platform for Google Cloud, disclosed to The Register that the EU is probing complaints against Microsoft to ascertain if customers are compelled to use Entra ID exclusively to access Microsoft services or if they have the option of using other solutions.

Zavery reportedly claimed that Microsoft can remove interfaces or APIs and make other changes that make it impossible for vendors to keep up, in turn creating barriers.

Speaking to system administrators familiar with Microsoft’s ecosystem, The Register says that Entra ID appears to be the primary means of accessing Microsoft 365 resources, suggesting a close integration between the two.

The report quotes one such admin: “As soon as you create a 365 tenancy, it also creates an Entra ID as your ID, they are intrinsically linked.”

This probe is just one of a broader set of investigations by antitrust bodies across Europe, the UK, and the US, and while Microsoft has reached some settlements, the broader implications of its licensing policies continue to draw widespread regulatory scrutiny worldwide.

A Microsoft spokesperson told TechRadar Pro in an email:

"Like other cloud SaaS services, Microsoft has built-in identity capabilities which ensure our customers can securely access our cloud services. We also provide open APIs, enabling seamless integration with third-party identity services like Ping and Okta as well as with security providers to allow our customers to choose the solution that best fits their needs."

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Craig Hale
Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!