Italian watchdog probes Microsoft as M365 price change looms
Italy’s competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Microsoft over concerns it may not have clearly informed consumers about the integration of Copilot and Designer into Microsoft 365 subscriptions, associated price increases, and automatic upgrades to higher-cost plans. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), in a statement to the press, said it had opened an investigation into Microsoft S.r.l., the vendor’s Italian subsidiary, and Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd. to assess whether the way the changes to M365 pricing were communicated may have unduly restricted consumers’ freedom of choice. Although the AGCM’s announcement does not explicitly identify the pricing event under investigation, its description aligns with Microsoft’s January 2025 rollout of Copilot and Designer for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. At the time, Microsoft announced its first price increase for the consumer subscriptions since the launch of Copilot and Designer, stating that existin