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Especially in the UK antitrust investigation, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud all dominate the global cloud storage services. File photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License photo
September 22 (UPI) – Media watchdog is investigating whether big U.S. tech companies include Amazon and Google A monopoly on cloud computing has formed in the UK, officials said on Thursday.
Ofcom, the UK media regulator, announced an investigation and said it would investigate whether the two companies and Microsoft may have an unfair competitive advantage in the cloud services industry.
“As the cloud computing industry is still evolving, we will be looking at how the market works today and what we expect to see going forward – aiming to identify any potential competitive issues early to prevent them from being embedded as the market matures,” the paper said. The agency said in a statement that according to Evening Standard.
Specifically targeting Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, all of which dominate global cloud storage services — a powerful tool that allows businesses to store data on remote servers that can be accessed from anywhere, while Not a localized hard drive.
Based on the findings, the agency may take further action to rein in these corporate giants.
Regulators are also eyeing other popular digital tools, including Meta’s WhatsApp, Apple’s Zoom and FaceTime, and virtual assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa — services that have so far received little regulatory oversight.
Ofcom estimates that nearly 20% of global companies’ budgets go to cloud services, but Amazon, Google and Microsoft account for the lion’s share of profits (over 80%).
Ofcom’s head of connectivity Selina Chadha said the agency was taking an objective investigative approach and it could take up to a year to gather information.
“The way we live, work, play and do business has been transformed by digital services,” Chadha said. NBC Finance Channel“But the number of platforms, devices and networks delivering content continues to grow, as do the technical and economic issues facing regulators.”
The regulator’s final report will list any antitrust concerns and recommend solutions.
The UK investigation is part of a wider effort in London to implement new broadcast and telecommunications controls and to clean up the digital economy. The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating U.S. tech companies in several separate antitrust investigations.
The European Union has previously fined Google billions of dollars for allegedly violating antitrust laws, while Apple and Amazon have been involved in similar practices.
All three companies have faced similar antitrust scrutiny in the United States.
Several tech CEOs, including Amazon, in mid-2020 Jeff BezosFacebook mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai Testify before the House Antitrust Subcommittee.
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