Microsoft is being accused of blocking Tutanota users from using its Teams platform if they try to register an account using a Tutanota email address.
The problem, which has been going on unrectified for some time, seems to have arisen because it treats Tutanota as a corporate email, rather than what it actually is.
When a Tutanota email user tries to use this email address to register an account with Teams they get a classic computer says no and suggests the person contact their admin or try a different email.
The first Tutanota user was assigned a domain. A spokeswoman for Tutanota said that everyone who logs in should report to their admin.
Tutanota is shown in a screen grab.
If you want to register a Teams account, you have to enter a non-Tutanota email. For instance, a Microsoft email address.
Tutanota is crying foul over Microsoft's failure to fix an obvious SNAFU, and urging action from antitrust authorities to ensure that competition generally, and pro-privacy business models like its own, are not harmed by over powerful, gatekeeping tech giants.
The co-founder of Tutanota dubbed Microsoft's behavior a "severe anti-competitive practice".
Big Tech regulation is being discussed by politicians on both sides of the Atlantic. The example of Microsoft blocking Tutanota users from register a Teams account demonstrates the need for these laws. The problem is that Big Tech companies have the power to harm smaller competitors with very easy steps.
He says that Microsoft can abuse its market position to harm competitors and also harm consumers.
Microsoft can't be accused of having its finger on the pulse of the German company behind Tutatnota, which launched its email client in 2014).
Tutanota said that when it asked the company's support staff to fix the problem they were told it wasn't feasible.
It is currently not feasible for the domain to become a public domain due to the fact that the domain has used the Microsoft Teams services.
We can't make your domain a public domain. The domain has been used for something. If teams have been used with a specific domain, it can't be used as a public domain.
Tutanota tried to get a reason why Microsoft couldn't reclassify the domain, but just hit a brick wall. It decided to go public with its complaint now.
The spokeswoman said that the conversation went back and forth for at least six weeks until they gave up.
Pfau argues that it's impossible to compete with Microsoft because of their market power, and urges authorities to break up the market power of Big Tech.
The market power of Big Tech needs to be broken up. The evolution of the online world will be led by this. He writes that people need privacy-respecting alternatives if they want to avoid being tracked online.
At the time of writing, Microsoft had not responded to Tutanota.
The issue raised by Tutanota is currently being looked into by Microsoft.
It isn't the first time that Tutanota has found its users' access being blocked by larger platforms.
The European Union has passed sweeping new antitrust legislation that will set up front rules for the most powerful platforms to pro-actively push them to play
There is a requirement in the regulation that in-scope core platform services must apply fair and non-discriminatory general conditions of access, among other things.
Microsoft is unlikely to be the first company to qualify for the EU's shiny new ex ante oversight rules given how wide-spread competition concerns are. Microsoft's attitude toward Tutanota's complaint looks ill-advised, as the bloc's direction of travel is firmly for increased scrutiny of platform power.
EU’s new rules for Big Tech will come into force in Spring 2023, says Vestager
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