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Microsoft likely to avoid French antitrust probe as regulator set to dismiss Qwant complaint

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Microsoft appears poised to escape a French antitrust investigation into its search operations after the French search engine Qwant said regulators plan to dismiss its complaint. The company said it may appeal the decision in court or bring the case before other authorities.

Qwant, which has long used Microsoft’s Bing platform to power its search and news results, filed a grievance earlier this year alleging that Microsoft imposed exclusivity clauses and unfair conditions that restricted Qwant’s ability to develop its own search engine and advertising services. It also accused Microsoft of favoring its own products in search advertising allocation.

The French Competition Authority is expected to formally announce its decision within two weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. During a closed-door hearing in June, investigators reportedly recommended rejecting Qwant’s request for an injunction and broader investigation.

In response, Qwant CEO Olivier Abecassis said the company would “pursue all available legal avenues” to defend its business, accusing Microsoft of “egregious abuse” of market power.

Microsoft, for its part, dismissed the allegations, noting that the complaint “lacks merit” and that the search market is “dominated by Google.” Microsoft is a key provider of syndicated search results for smaller European rivals, including Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Lilo, which rely on its technology to compete.

Google offers new search result changes to avoid looming EU antitrust fine

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Google has submitted a fresh set of proposals to the European Commission in an effort to avoid a major antitrust fine, pledging to further modify how its search results display competing services such as Google Shopping, Hotels, and Flights.

According to a document seen by Reuters, Google’s latest offer builds on a July proposal that faced pushback from vertical search services (VSS) — specialized search engines focused on areas like travel, hotels, and restaurants — as well as price comparison sites. These rivals argued Google’s previous plans still favoured its own services.

The new proposal is part of an investigation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a sweeping EU law aimed at curbing Big Tech dominance, promoting competition, and offering users more choice.

In the updated framework, Google said it will allow third-party search services to display their own dedicated boxes on search results pages, similar in format to those used for Google’s own services. Each “VSS box” will contain inventory and results directly from the third-party platform, selected through objective, non-discriminatory criteria.

Suppliers — such as hotels, airlines, or restaurants — would appear in boxes placed either above or below depending on query relevance, the company explained. Google also said it would not share competitors’ data with other parties, a key concern among rivals.

While expressing a desire to resolve the EU probe, Google warned that excessive changes could benefit intermediaries at the expense of European businesses selling directly to consumers. “We remain concerned that further changes could prioritise the commercial interests of a small set of intermediaries,” a company spokesperson said.

Google announces $15 billion AI data centre in India, its biggest investment yet

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Google will invest $15 billion over the next five years to build a major artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, marking the company’s largest-ever investment in India. The data centre, to be located in Visakhapatnam, will have an initial capacity of 1 gigawatt, serving as Google’s largest AI hub outside the United States.

The announcement came during an event in New Delhi attended by India’s finance and technology ministers. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said the project aims to support India’s growing AI ambitions: “This long-term vision we have is to accelerate India’s own AI mission.”

The investment underscores Google’s commitment to expanding its global data infrastructure, with the company planning to spend around $85 billion this year worldwide to boost cloud and AI capabilities.

However, the timing of the announcement coincides with rising diplomatic tension between Washington and New Delhi, following U.S. tariffs on Indian goods and calls within India to boycott foreign products. Despite this, Google said the initiative “creates substantial economic and societal opportunities for both India and the United States.”

Google will partner with Adani Group and Airtel to build the new facility and its accompanying international subsea gateway, which is expected to generate over 188,000 jobs, according to earlier state estimates.

The project places Google alongside Microsoft and Amazon, who have also invested heavily in India’s rapidly expanding data centre market — home to nearly a billion internet users and a booming digital economy.