The European Commission doesn't see itself responsible for Microsoft's IT outage

After a Microsoft exec accused it of being partially responsible for last week’s enormous IT outage, the European Commission strongly rejected any blame.

As we all know, last week, the world experienced one of the most significant outages in information technology (IT), leading to various disturbances – flights got late, businesses faced difficulties with payment transactions, and healthcare services were greatly affected.

The central piece of this chaos was a big time-out, which impacted many computers running Windows and using the Falcon cybersecurity software from CrowdStrike. Right after finding temporary solutions, Microsoft hinted that a ten-year-old deal with the European Commission is to blame for this unprecedented disruption.

The European Commission, though, has rapidly responded to protect its position in a statement to Euronews. A spokesperson clarified that Microsoft never mentioned any security worries before or after the incident. This statement was a clear answer to Microsoft’s suggestion that the agreement made in 2009—which aimed at creating equal opportunities for providers of security software—somehow added to this mess.

Microsoft is free to decide on its business model. It is for Microsoft to adapt its security infrastructure to respond to threats in line with EU competition law. Additionally, consumers are free to benefit from competition and choose between different cybersecurity providers.

The European Commission

The situation is intriguing because it shows that the outage was not limited to the EU, which makes us think about how these IT weaknesses can affect the world. The Commission spokesperson also noted that consumers have a choice in selecting cybersecurity services from different providers, implying a competitive environment for Microsoft to handle smartly.