Microsoft and Google hug it out, agree to withdraw regulatory complaints

Are Microsoft and Google entering a new era of cooperation? A new report states the two companies are going to work together to resolve any issues among themselves before bringing in outside regulators.

According to Re/code:

“Microsoft has agreed to withdraw its regulatory complaints against Google, reflecting our changing legal priorities,” a Microsoft representative said in a statement to Re/code. “We will continue to focus on competing vigorously for business and for customers.” Google, meanwhile, offered up a similar statement, affirming that it too will withdraw any regulatory complaints it has made. “Our companies compete vigorously, but we want to do so on the merits of our products, not in legal proceedings.”

The report says this development has been in the works for some time and reflects the more cordial relationship between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. It’s certainly a far cry from Microsoft’s previous public efforts to go after Google for its search and ad policies under its now discontinued “Scroogled” campaign. Microsoft has also recently ended its membership of two groups, FairSearch and ICOMP, that publicly supported antitrust actions against Google’s search business.