France’s competition regulator has dismissed a complaint filed by the local search engine Qwant, which accused Microsoft of abusing its dominant market position.
The Autorité de la Concurrence stated that Qwant did not provide sufficiently convincing evidence to support its allegations. The regulator also declined to grant the interim measures Qwant had requested against Microsoft.
Qwant, which has long depended on Microsoft’s Bing technology to power its search and news results, had already anticipated that its complaint might be rejected. The company previously said it planned to challenge the decision in court or escalate the case to other relevant authorities.
Microsoft welcomed the outcome, saying it supports fair competition and remains dedicated to delivering high-quality search services while encouraging innovation for users and partners across France and Europe.
In its complaint, Qwant claimed that Microsoft imposed exclusivity restrictions that limited Qwant’s ability to develop its own search engine and artificial intelligence capabilities. The French company also alleged that Microsoft favored its own services when allocating search advertising.
Microsoft holds a significant role in the search-syndication market, providing results to several smaller European search engines, including Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Lilo.
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