In the written statement made by the institution, it was stated that it was not clearly stated that the information regarding the price increase was integrated into the Microsoft 365 service, which is presented to consumers in a fragmented and dispersed manner, as well as the artificial intelligence-based “Copilot” and “Designe” services.
In the statement, it was stated that the fact that consumers were switched to a new subscription plan with a higher fee as the default option unless they terminated the contract was also among the subjects of the investigation.
It was stated that all these situations violated consumer protection regulations.
In the written statement made by the Italian Consumer Rights Association (Codacons), it was argued that this investigation initiated by the Competition Authority once again revealed the wrong practices of big technology companies regarding competition and consumer rights.
Codacons announced that they expect a high administrative fine to be imposed on Microsoft if irregularities are detected at the end of the investigation, and that they will take legal action to get back the fees of users who overpaid and suffered economic damage due to unfair practices.
