PARIS, France – France’s antitrust authority, the Autorité de la Concurrence, has officially dismissed a complaint filed by local search engine Qwant against tech giant Microsoft. The complaint alleged that Microsoft abused its dominant market position, but the watchdog found that Qwant did not provide sufficient evidence to support its claims. Additionally, the Autorité declined to enforce the interim measures requested by Qwant against Microsoft.

Background: Qwant’s Allegations

Qwant, which relies on Microsoft’s Bing platform to deliver search and news results, had accused Microsoft of:

• Imposing exclusivity restrictions that limited Qwant’s ability to develop its own search engine and artificial intelligence capabilities
• Favoring its own products in search advertising allocation
• Hampering competition in the European search engine market

The French company claimed these practices prevented it from effectively competing with Microsoft and other major search platforms.

Microsoft’s Response

A Microsoft spokesperson welcomed the ruling, stating:

“We agree with the decision and remain committed to providing high-quality search services and fostering innovation for consumers and partners in France and across Europe.”

Microsoft is a significant player in the search engine syndication sector, providing results to smaller European rivals including Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Lilo, as well as Qwant.

Qwant indicated last month that it expected the complaint to be dismissed and confirmed its intention to challenge the ruling either in court or by appealing to other authorities. The company did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment following the dismissal.

Implications for the European Tech Market

The decision underscores the challenges that smaller European tech firms face when challenging global giants like Microsoft. While regulators across Europe have increasingly scrutinized tech companies for potential anti-competitive behavior, authorities require clear, documented evidence to enforce action.

The ruling also highlights Microsoft’s continued dominance in the search engine and online advertising markets in Europe. By providing syndicated search services to smaller competitors, Microsoft maintains a significant influence on how online search content and ads are distributed.

Conclusion

The dismissal of Qwant’s antitrust complaint confirms Microsoft’s compliance with French competition law, at least in this instance, and demonstrates the high evidentiary standards needed to bring antitrust actions against multinational technology companies. While Qwant may pursue further legal avenues, the ruling is a victory for Microsoft, reinforcing its role as a key player in Europe’s search engine and AI ecosystem.