The Financial Times, referencing unnamed “people with direct knowledge of the matter,” reported that the FTC is examining allegations that Microsoft is abusing its market power by imposing punitive licensing terms to prevent customers from moving their data from Azure to other platforms.

The Federal Trade Commission is preparing to launch an investigation into anti-competitive practices at Microsoft’s cloud computing business, as the US regulator continues to pursue Big Tech in the final weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency.

The FTC is reportedly readying an investigation into whether Microsoft used anti-competitive tactics to maintain a dominant position in the cloud market. According to the Financial Times, the agency is looking into allegations that Microsoft imposed punitive licensing agreements to prevent customers from moving data off its platforms.