Microsoft just ramped up its cloud rivalry with Google by accusing it of 'shadow campaigns'

• Microsoft has accused Google of undermining its business pinch "shadow campaigns."
• The institution alleged Google formed a group to power unreality regularisation successful Europe.
• Microsoft leads Google for unreality marketplace share, while Amazon Web Services is top.

Microsoft has publically accused Google of moving "shadow campaigns" to undermine its business and power unreality regularisation successful Europe successful an escalation of nan tech giants' rivalry.

In a blog station shared connected Monday, Microsoft's lawman wide counsel, Rima Alaily, accused Google of designing a group — called nan Open Cloud Coalition — to tilt nan regulatory scenery successful favour of its ain unreality services.

The caller lobby group includes Google and respective smaller unreality providers.

"This week an astroturf group organized by Google is launching," Alaily wrote successful nan post. "It is designed to discredit Microsoft pinch title authorities, and policymakers and mislead nan public. Google has gone done awesome lengths to obfuscate its involvement, funding, and control, astir notably by recruiting a fistful of European unreality providers, to service arsenic nan nationalist look of nan caller organization."

A Google spokesperson told Business Insider nan institution had been "very public" astir concerns pinch Microsoft's unreality licensing.

"We and galore others judge that Microsoft's anticompetitive practices fastener successful customers and create antagonistic downstream effects that effect cybersecurity, innovation, and choice," a Google Cloud spokesperson said.

Nicky Stewart, a elder Advisor to nan Open Cloud Coalition, told Business Insider nan group is "transparent" astir its members.

"We are not anti immoderate 1 company, we are a pro-market conjugation that is focused connected advocating for principles that will fortify nan marketplace for unreality services successful Europe, principally openness and interoperability. Any institution that shares these values and cares astir a patient and thriving marketplace for unreality should subordinate us," Stewart said successful consequence to questions astir Microsoft's blog post.

Cloud wars

Microsoft's determination to publically impeach Google is an different measurement that could awesome intensifying tensions betwixt nan 2 aged rivals.

Last month, Google revenge an antitrust title against Microsoft pinch nan European Commission, alleging nan institution was utilizing anti-competitive licensing practices to unit companies to enactment pinch its Azure unreality infrastructure.

The rival Big Tech companies compete successful various markets, including unreality infrastructure, search, AI, and productivity software.

But Microsoft has historically beaten Google for unreality sales.

In nan 2nd 4th of 2024, Google Cloud generated $10.35 cardinal successful revenue, while Microsoft's Azure, included arsenic portion of nan company's Intelligent Cloud group, reported $28.5 cardinal successful revenue.

In 2023, Google Cloud generated $33.7 cardinal successful sales, while Microsoft's Intelligent Cloud group reported $96.8 cardinal successful sales. Amazon Web Services, nan e-commerce giant's unreality business, is nan leading supplier by marketplace share.

Alaily besides accused Google of attempting to distract from regulatory scrutiny nan institution faces pursuing caller antitrust rulings.

In nan US, nan Department of Justice is considering asking a judge to break up Google, months aft a national judge ruled that the institution violated antitrust law pinch its hunt engine.

The Big Tech institution has besides faced antitrust scrutiny complete its Android app store. In a caller ruling successful Epic Games' blockbuster antitrust case, a judge ordered Google to unfastened up Android to rival third-party app stores. Google has said it plans to entreaty nan ruling.