Microsoft could be fined up to 20 billion euros for bundling Teams

Microsoft has violated European law by bundling Teams with Office 365 and Microsoft 365, the European Commission has provisionally concluded. A fine of up to 19.7 billion euros now threatens the American company.

Microsoft released cheaper 365 subscriptions without Teams last year, but according to the European Commission, that is not enough. According to the Commission, it has used its lead in distribution through those subscriptions to build a globally dominant position in the field of collaboration tools, especially for companies. The Commission is investigating after a complaint from Slack.

The European Commission is now giving Microsoft the opportunity to defend itself, but if it remains found that Microsoft has broken the law, the company must adjust its practices. A fine of up to 10 percent of annual turnover may also follow. Because the annual turnover last year was 211 billion dollars, the maximum fine is 19.7 billion euros.