The Tutanota email service said its clients couldn't register a Microsoft Teams account with Tutanota email addresses and called Microsoft's actions severe anti-competitive behavior.
"When asked to change the current situation, a spokesperson for Microsoft simply said it would not be possible for them to allow people to register a Teams account with a Tutanota email address. Period. We repeatedly tried to solve the issue with Microsoft, but unfortunately, our request was ignored," Tutanota said.
The company called Microsoft's policy "severe anti-competitive practice" that forces its customers to register a second email address – possibly one from Microsoft themselves – to create a Teams account.
"This is just one example of how Microsoft can and does abuse its dominant market position to harm competitors, which in turn also harms consumers," the company said.
Tutanota co-founder, Matthias Pfau, calls for stronger antitrust legislation to regulate Big Tech.
"We need to break up the market power of Big Tech like we did in the nineties. This will lead to a new evolution in today's online world. One where products rise that concentrate on benefiting the consumer – not maximizing ad revenue", says Pfau. "To free oneself from being tracked online, people need privacy-respecting alternatives. [...] However, competing with Microsoft is nigh impossible given their sheer market power."
Big Tech, including Microsoft, has been facing rigorous scrutiny recently. Many experts furrowed their eyebrows in 2020 when the landmark hearing in the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee did not include Microsoft.
The four tech giants - Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google - were grilled for allegedly bolstering their power by acquiring small emerging rivals, using competitors’ data for their sales promotions, etc.
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