The European Commission is looking into whether Microsoft is preventing customers from relying on certain security software from its competitors.

According to a document seen by The Information that was sent to at least one rival in January, the competition watchdog is looking specifically into Microsoft's Entra ID software, formally known as Azure Active Directory.

The regulator is said to be looking into whether the software, which lets companies control who can log into their cloud-based apps, prohibits users from using only rival software to authenticate into Microsoft’s services or if they must also use Entra ID.

Microsoft has historically faced scrutiny over its bundling and cloud-computing practices from both rivals and regulators, though the company previously said that it had worked to address those concerns.

Google's Cloud unit vice president Amit Zavery on Monday ramped up the company's criticism of Microsoft,

Speaking to Reuters, he said: "We worry about Microsoft wanting to flex their decade-long practices where they had a lot of monopoly on the on-premise software before and now they are trying to push that into cloud now.

"So they are creating this whole walled garden, which is completely controlled and owned by Microsoft, and customers who want to do any of this stuff, you have to go to Microsoft only,"

Calling on regulators to act, Zavery added: "I think regulators need to provide some kind of guidance as well as maybe regulations which prevent the way Microsoft is building the Azure cloud business, not allow your on-premise monopoly to bring it into the cloud monopoly."

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