Australia: Microsoft accused of deceptive practices in Microsoft 365 renewals – Against Invaders – Notícias de CyberSecurity para humanos.

Australia: Microsoft accused of deceptive practices in Microsoft 365 renewals – Against Invaders – Notícias de CyberSecurity para humanos.

Australia: Microsoft accused of deceptive practices in Microsoft 365 renewals - Against Invaders - Notícias de CyberSecurity para humanos.

Redazione RHC:27 October 2025 13:01

Australia’s competition watchdog, the ACCC, said subscribers to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans were being asked to pay higher prices for Copilot or cancel their subscriptions.

According to the ACCC, this information was false or misleading because there was a third, undisclosed option for subscribers, who could keep their existing “classic” plan without Copilot or the price markup. With the integration of Copilot, prices increased from $109 to $159 for the Personal plan and from $139 to $179 for the Family plan.

“Following a detailed investigation, we will argue in court that Microsoft deliberately omitted reference to the Classic plans in its communications and concealed their existence until subscribers initiated the cancellation process to increase the number of consumers with the more expensive Copilot bundled plans,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. “The Microsoft Office apps included in 365 subscriptions are essential to many people’s lives, and given that alternatives to the bundled package are limited, canceling the subscription is a decision many would not take lightly.”

The ACCC said it launched its investigation after receiving numerous complaints from consumers and reviewing online discussions, including on Reddit.

Microsoft said it was reviewing the ACCC’s case and was “committed to engaging constructively with the regulator and ensuring that our practices meet all legal and ethical standards”.

According to the ACCC, Microsoft sent two emails to its customers and published a blog post about the Copilot integration and the price increases that would apply to affected subscribers’ next automatic renewal. The post has since been removed.

The competition watchdog is now seeking fines, injunctions, declarations, consumer compensation, and costs.

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