Antitrust probes target Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI, report confirms

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States escalated its actions in January this year by issuing directives to five corporations, which encompassed Microsoft and OpenAI, mandating them to furnish details on their recent investments in companies specializing in generative AI and large cloud service providers. The scrutiny also extended to Google’s parent company Alphabet, Amazon, and Anthropic, the creators of the generative AI tool Claude.

Nvidia did not go unnoticed in this scenario. In its most recent quarterly report, the company acknowledged, “Our market presence in the AI sector has caught the attention of regulatory bodies worldwide.” The report mentioned queries regarding its AI-related business practices from authorities in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and China, with a special mention of the investigative efforts by the French Competition Authority. Nvidia also anticipated receiving more inquiries in the future.

During an interview with Harvard Law Today in February of 2024, FTC chair Lisa Khan elaborated on the objectives behind these investigations. She emphasized that the aim is not to impede business expansion but to prevent unlawful conduct. Khan stressed, “Our primary goal is to ensure that competition thrives and that the potential for disruption is not hijacked by established dominant entities trying to further entrench their position.”

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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