France’s Qwant accuses Microsoft of search result degradation – Computerworld

High stakes and uncertain outcomes

For Qwant and other European search engines, this case could determine their long-term survival. Companies risk fines of as much as 10% of their global annual turnover for breaching French antitrust rules, creating significant pressure for compliance. For Microsoft, that could translate to billions in potential penalties.

However, the complex technical nature of the allegations presents unique challenges for regulators. “The evidentiary bar remains high,” Gogia noted. “Unlike pricing abuse, degradation of service in digital syndication manifests in subtler ways—reduced index depth, slower query responses, or unexplainable result variance. These are difficult to benchmark externally, and even harder to attribute with certainty.”

The September decision deadline will be closely watched by other European search engines, regulators, and Microsoft’s competitors. If France’s antitrust authority decides to take interim action, it could provide immediate relief to Qwant while setting a precedent for how search syndication disputes are handled across Europe.