Germany’s competition regulator Federal Cartel Office has announced a review of Microsoft to determine if the tech giant has significant market power within the German market under new national competition legislation that came into in force in 2021.

The new rules introduced a much wider scope to the principles of significant market power and anti-competitive practices as defined in EU law, targeting companies of ‘paramount significance for competition across markets’. This includes companies that may not yet be in actual position of dominance.

Under these new rules, anti-competitive practices, if established, will attract additional sanctions beyond fines, such as changes in business practices or divestments.

Other tech companies already determined to have significant market power in Germany include Google, Meta and Amazon.