Microsoft claims Google is running "shadow campaigns" to discredit its cloud work in Europe

Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Rima Alaily has slated Google’s efforts to sway European regulators pinch nan motorboat of nan Open Cloud Coalition – a group of 10 unreality companies campaigning for a fairer and much competitory unreality scenery crossed nan UK, Europe and beyond.

Alaily criticized Google for forming an “astroturf” lobbying group, which she says is portion of nan company’s broader effort to undermine its competitors.

Moreover, Alaily claimed Google has organized nan group arsenic a beforehand to discredit Microsoft’s business practices successful Europe, which precocious came nether occurrence from antitrust regulators.

Microsoft accuses Google of moving “shadow campaigns”

Alaily alleged Google has recruited smaller European unreality providers arsenic nan coalition’s nationalist look to obscure its engagement and to displacement regulatory attraction from its ain business practices, noting that nan institution has gone to awesome lengths to look arsenic a secondary personnel of nan Coalition.

The group consists of world companies for illustration Centerprise International, Civo and Gigas, and home companies specified arsenic ControlPlane, DTP Group, Prolinx, Pulsant, Clairo and Room 101.

Google Cloud mightiness beryllium nan only hyperscaler successful nan group, but this isn’t uncommon. CISPE, a group of unreality companies operating successful Europe, only has 1 resident hyperscaler – AWS.

Alaily’s blog post besides points to Google’s grounded efforts to get CISPE members to prolong their lawsuit against Microsoft. Google reportedly offered €470 cardinal successful favour of this, but nan group yet decided to opt for Microsoft’s settlement.

She wrote: “By our count, location are astatine slightest 24 antitrust investigations against Google successful nan starring integer markets astir nan world. At a clip erstwhile Google should beryllium focused connected addressing morganatic questions astir its business, it is alternatively turning its immense resources towards tearing down others.”

The blog station adds Google has attacked Microsoft done different companies previously, noting, “We understand Google is simply a main funder of nan U.S.-based Coalition for Fair Software Licensing, which has levied attacks connected our unreality computing business successful nan United States, nan United Kingdom, and nan EU… Google has besides attacked america connected topics ranging from cybersecurity to our business successful China, pitching stories to reporters, suggesting questions to legislature offices up of hearings, and distributing documents successful awesome capitals astir nan world.”

A Google Cloud spokesperson told TechRadar Pro in an email: “We’ve been very nationalist astir our concerns pinch Microsoft’s unreality licensing. We and galore others judge that Microsoft’s anticompetitive practices lock-in customers and create antagonistic downstream effects that effect cybersecurity, innovation, and choice. You tin publication much successful our galore blog posts connected these issues.”

More from TechRadar Pro

• These are nan best unreality hosting providers
• Google backs caller Open Cloud Coalition to lobby crossed Europe
• Keep your information online pinch nan best unreality storage and best unreality backup tools