Recently, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has filed a legal lawsuit against Microsoft, accusing it of misleading users regarding the Microsoft 365 product subscription.

The ACCC stated that Microsoft informed users of its Microsoft 365 personal and family plans that to maintain their subscriptions, users must accept the integration of Copilot and pay higher fees, or choose to cancel their subscriptions. However, the ACCC pointed out that there is actually an undisclosed third option: the "Microsoft 365 Personal or Family Classic Plan," which allows users to retain original features at a lower price without using Copilot.

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Image source note: The image was generated by AI, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney.

In January 2025, the Register reported that Microsoft planned to increase M365 prices to reflect the inclusion of Copilot. At that time, Microsoft also said it would provide a "classic" plan as an alternative option, but did not mention this plan in relevant information.

Gina Cass-Gottlieb, chair of the ACCC, stated that after a detailed investigation, the committee will present charges to the court, arguing that Microsoft intentionally omitted information about the classic plan in its communications, aiming to increase the number of users opting for the higher-priced Copilot integration plan during the cancellation process. She pointed out that Microsoft's actions deprived customers of transparency when making decisions about subscription options, failing to inform them that they could continue their subscriptions at a lower price while retaining original features.

The Register has requested comments from Microsoft, but as of the time of publication, no response had been received. Microsoft later sent us a statement.

At the same time, the Australian federal government announced it will not create an exemption in local copyright law to allow artificial intelligence companies to freely scrape content for training models. Australian Attorney-General Michelle Rowland stated that Australian creators should be protected by copyright.

Key points:  

🌟 The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is suing Microsoft, accusing it of misleading Microsoft 365 users.  

📉 Microsoft claimed that users must accept Copilot to maintain their subscriptions, but did not inform them of the classic plan option.  

⚖️ The Australian government decided not to exempt copyright law, protecting the rights of local creators.