France’s antitrust regulator has dismissed a complaint filed by the local search engine Qwant, which accused Microsoft of abusing its dominant market position.
The regulator, known as the Autorité de la Concurrence, stated that Qwant did not provide sufficient evidence to support its claims. It also declined to issue the temporary measures Qwant had requested against Microsoft.
Qwant, which has long depended on Microsoft’s Bing to supply its search and news results, had already predicted last month that its complaint would likely be rejected. The company said at the time that it planned to challenge the outcome either in court or through other authorities.
Microsoft welcomed the decision, stating that it supports the ruling and remains committed to providing high-quality search services and encouraging innovation for users and partners in France and across Europe.
Qwant had accused Microsoft of placing exclusivity limits on how it could use search results and search advertising, making it harder for Qwant to build its own search engine and artificial intelligence tools. The company also claimed Microsoft gave itself an advantage in search advertising.
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