French Regulator Dismisses Qwant’s Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft
The Autorité de la Concurrence, France's competition watchdog, has rejected Qwant's allegations that Microsoft abused its market dominance to stifle competition. The ruling, delivered on November 27, 2025, found insufficient evidence to support claims of exclusivity arrangements or anti-competitive tying practices.
Qwant, a domestic search engine, argued Microsoft's requirement to bundle search results with advertising tools hindered its ability to develop independent AI and search technologies. The regulator determined Qwant failed to demonstrate Microsoft's dominance in syndication markets or prove the absence of viable alternatives.
The decision comes six months after Qwant secured an alternative partnership with another search provider, undermining its claims of market foreclosure. No cryptocurrencies or exchanges were implicated in the proceedings.
