Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Microsoft to determine whether the company misled personal and family customers when promoting subscription plans for its Microsoft 365 service, potentially causing some users to pay more than expected.
The regulator said the investigation will focus on Microsoft’s decision to integrate its AI-powered Copilot assistant into Microsoft 365 subscriptions. While the feature was initially introduced at no additional cost, some customers reportedly faced higher subscription prices when renewing their plans.
“The investigation will examine whether customers were given key information about the plans and the difference in cost to understand the options available to them before making a decision,” the CMA said in a statement.
The watchdog added that although it supports the wider adoption of artificial intelligence, consumers must receive clear, transparent and timely information before choosing or renewing subscription services.
“We are reviewing the CMA’s claims in detail,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding the company remained committed to “working constructively” with the regulator.
Microsoft is already facing several competition investigations worldwide covering its business software, cloud computing operations and AI partnerships. In May, the UK’s CMA also opened a separate investigation into the company’s position in the business software market.
The CMA noted that regulators in Australia and Italy are also examining whether Microsoft provided sufficient information to customers when renewing subscription plans.
