Google is accused by Microsoft of engaging in "shadow campaigns" in Europe to sway regulators.

• Microsoft claimed that Google is engaging in "shadow campaigns" to disparage the software giant with European regulators.
• A Microsoft lawyer claimed in a blog post that Google is part of a group of cloud companies working to sway policy makers and deceive the public.
• Microsoft's software licensing tactics have led Google to consider filing an antitrust complaint against the company with the EU's executive body.

On Monday, the software giant publicly criticized its longtime rival for running "shadow campaigns" in Europe, aimed at discrediting the software giant with regulators.

In a blog post, Microsoft lawyer Rima Alaily stated that Google hired a company to recruit European cloud businesses to support its case.

"Microsoft lawyer Rima Alaily wrote in a blog post that an astroturf group, funded and controlled by Google, is launching this week with the aim of discrediting Microsoft with competition authorities, policymakers, and misleading the public. Google has gone to great lengths to hide its involvement, funding, and control, including recruiting a few European cloud providers to serve as the public face of the new organization."

In cloud infrastructure, online advertising, and productivity software, two companies are engaged in a new conflict. Meanwhile, Google is facing increased regulatory scrutiny in both Europe and the U.S., where it is currently involved in its second antitrust trial against the Justice Department.

In Monday's post, Alaily suggested that Google hired advisory firm DGA Group to establish the Open Cloud Coalition. One company that declined to join the coalition informed Microsoft that the coalition would receive financial support from Google and attack Microsoft's practices in Europe, according to Alaily.

The Open Cloud Coalition was formed to advocate for a fair, competitive, and open cloud services industry across the UK and EU.

DGA Group representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Microsoft's cloud licensing has been a topic of concern for us and many others, as we believe that the company's anticompetitive practices lock-in customers and create negative downstream effects that impact cybersecurity, innovation, and choice, a Google cloud spokesperson stated in an email."

Google has announced that it will be filing a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission over allegations of unfair practices in licensing the Windows Server operating system. On its website, Microsoft claims that clients can save an average of 36% when they use Windows Server on Microsoft's cloud instead of on Web Services.

Amazon leads the cloud infrastructure market over Microsoft and Google.

Google has a history of targeting Microsoft, as evidenced by its funding of the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing, which last year requested an investigation into Microsoft by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Additionally, Google reportedly offered around $500 million to members of the Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe to reject a proposed antitrust settlement regarding Microsoft. The case was ultimately settled in July.

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