Australia's Competition & Consumer Commission is suing Microsoft for allegedly misleading users of Microsoft 365 about Copilot subscription options, claiming Microsoft concealed a lower-cost 'Classic' plan to push users towards more expensive Copilot plans. The case highlights concerns over consumer rights and transparency in subscription services.
The ACCC has taken legal action against Google Asia Pacific for anti-competitive conduct related to pre-installation agreements with Telstra and Optus, which restricted consumer choice and hindered competition in the Australian search engine market. Google has admitted liability, agreed to pay a $55 million penalty, and committed to removing certain restrictions from its contracts, aiming to foster greater competition and consumer choice, especially with the rise of AI search tools.
Australia's competition regulator, the ACCC, has filed a lawsuit against Qantas Airways, accusing the airline of selling tickets to over 8,000 flights between May and July 2022 without disclosing that they had been cancelled. The ACCC alleges that Qantas continued to sell tickets for an average of 16 days after cancelling flights, including one Sydney-to-San Francisco flight that was sold for 40 days after cancellation. Qantas could face fines of up to 10% of its annual turnover, which was A$19.8 billion ($12.8 billion) in the year to June. The airline stated that it would review the allegations and respond in court, noting the challenging period the industry faced due to the pandemic.