Italian regulator probes Microsoft over 365 price hike

Italy's competition authority has opened an investigation into Microsoft over allegations the company used unfair commercial practices when raising prices for its Microsoft 365 subscription service. The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) announced the probe on June 26, focusing on how the tech giant communicated a price increase set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

The regulator's central concern is that Microsoft failed to adequately inform consumers that its Microsoft 365 service had been integrated with artificial intelligence tools, specifically Copilot and Designer. According to the watchdog, customers were automatically moved to a more expensive subscription plan that included these AI features unless they actively opted out. The AGCM stated that consumers were given insufficient information to make an informed decision about whether to renew their contracts.

In its statement, the authority said the manner of Microsoft's communication may constitute an aggressive commercial practice because it appears to have unduly restricted consumers' freedom of choice. The investigation will examine whether the opt-out architecture of the price change violated...