Germany Puts Microsoft on Watch—Why PureOS Offers a Safer, More Transparent Alternative

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Latest posts by Purism (see all)

• AI Puts Your Personal Privacy at Risk - July 30, 2025
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• Germany Puts Microsoft on Watch—Why PureOS Offers a Safer, More Transparent Alternative - July 21, 2025

In a major move that underscores rising global concern over Big Tech power, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has officially designated Microsoft as having “paramount significance for competition across markets.” This rare designation opens the door for closer scrutiny and intervention by German regulators—especially around Microsoft’s growing role in artificial intelligence and its tightly woven ecosystem of services.

While the FCO has not yet initiated formal proceedings, it now has broad authority to investigate and impose restrictions on Microsoft’s activities. The designation echoes earlier action taken against other U.S. tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta under Germany’s expanded competition laws. However, unlike the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA)—which narrowly targets individual platforms—the German ruling applies to Microsoft as a whole. This includes not just Windows and LinkedIn (as regulated under the DMA), but also its AI initiatives, cloud services, and software integrations.

At the heart of the FCO’s concerns is Microsoft’s use of generative AI tools such as Copilot, and its strategic partnership with OpenAI. The FCO notes that Microsoft is leveraging its cloud infrastructure (Azure) and AI capabilities to further entrench its dominance across sectors—raising red flags about innovation suppression, vendor lock-in, and anti-competitive bundling.

This development should serve as a wake-up call for governments, enterprises, and consumers alike: it’s time to rethink our dependence on proprietary ecosystems built on opaque data practices and unchecked power.

Learn more about PureOS at Purism.

Why PureOS is Different

At Purism, we believe your digital life shouldn’t be dictated by closed systems or AI you can’t audit. That’s why we developed PureOS, a fully free, open source operating system that puts users—not corporations—in control.

Unlike Windows, PureOS is built on a foundation of transparency, privacy, and user autonomy:

• No backdoors. No forced telemetry. No hidden AI scripts scanning your personal data.
• PureOS runs on free/libre software and is independently auditable—meaning you can verify exactly what’s happening under the hood.
• We don’t sell your data, profile your behavior, or use AI to subtly manipulate your experience.

When regulators say Microsoft’s AI ecosystem could undermine competition and transparency, they’re voicing what many in the open source community have warned for years: proprietary platforms consolidate power by obscuring their internal operations, locking users into dependency, and integrating surveillance through seamless updates masked as “productivity enhancements.”

Copilot or Co-Opted?

Microsoft’s AI Copilot now exists across Windows, Office 365, GitHub, and Azure—an omnipresent assistant that is not fully optional, not fully transparent, and certainly not built with privacy as a priority. Under the guise of helping users, Copilot—and the AI behind it—can parse private files, emails, documents, and more. Microsoft claims this data isn’t used for training models, but the technical enforcement of such promises remains unclear.

By contrast, PureOS puts user consent and comprehension at the core. There are no shadow AI services harvesting data in the background. Our ecosystem is modular, decentralized, and customizable—free from vendor-driven manipulation or behavioral engineering.

Regulators Are Catching Up. Shouldn’t You?

Germany’s ruling is a sign that regulators are finally starting to confront the structural risks posed by entrenched tech monopolies. But policy changes are slow. As a user, you don’t have to wait.

With PureOS and devices like the Librem 5 smartphone or Librem 14 laptop, you can make the switch today to:

• Own your operating system
• Control your updates
• Say “no” to hidden AI surveillance
• Use a secure, privacy-respecting environment that respects your freedom

Microsoft’s growing AI footprint is being questioned for good reason. Now is the time to ask yourself: Do I trust AI embedded into everything I do—especially when I can’t see how it works?

Choose PureOS. Choose freedom, transparency, and control.

Purism Products and Availability Chart

	Model	Status	Lead Time
	Librem Key (Made in USA)	In Stock ($59+)	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Liberty Phone (Made in USA Electronics)	In Stock ($1,999+) 4GB/128GB	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem 5	In Stock ($799+) 3GB/32GB	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem 11	Backorder ($999+) 8GB/1TB	10 business days	Learn More Buy Now
	Librem 14	Out of stock	New Version in Development	Coming Soon
	Librem Mini	Out of stock	New Version in Development	Coming Soon
	Librem Server	In Stock ($2,999+)	45 business days	Learn More Buy Now