Customer Corner : Microsoft Part 2 – The Empire That Keeps On Giving (Us Content)

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Look, if you thought the first instalment was a kick in the teeth – where we tore into Microsoft’s hypocritical greenwashing with their diesel-chugging pals at Cummins – then buckle up. That was just the appetiser. Microsoft’s so mired in controversy these days that we’re not talking about a couple of blog posts; we need a bloody encyclopedia to catalogue the lot. Pages upon pages of scandals, screw-ups, and shady dealings that make you wonder if there’s any corner of this tech behemoth that isn’t rotten to the core. And here we are, scraping the barrel for part two, because apparently, one cloud choking on diesel wasn’t enough to satisfy their appetite for bullshit.

Remember those Bing suppression pieces we dropped earlier? The ones where we called out Microsoft’s search engine for burying inconvenient truths faster than a politician hides expenses? Yeah, “The Thing About Bing” and “Another Swing at Bing” – they painted a picture of a company that’s not just incompetent, but actively manipulative. Suppressing results, tweaking algorithms to favour their own crap, all while pretending to be the neutral arbiter of information. It’s the same old song: Microsoft talks a big game about innovation and ethics, but when push comes to shove, they’re knee-deep in suppression tactics that would make a dictator blush. And guess what? That mindset bleeds into everything they touch. From AI hype to cloud catastrophes, it’s all connected – a web of deceit designed to keep the cash flowing while the rest of us choke on the fumes.

But enough reminiscing. Let’s dive into the fresh hell that’s emerged since we last vented. These aren’t ancient history; they’re 2025 specials, hot off the press, and they show Microsoft hasn’t learned a damn thing. If anything, they’re doubling down on the arrogance. We’re talking lawsuits over dodgy pricing, internal revolts over war tech, mass sackings that stink of foul play, security blunders that could cripple developers, a vulnerability count that’s off the charts, global outages that bring businesses to their knees, and whispers of executive scandals that could blow the lid off the whole operation. Angry? You bet your arse I am. This isn’t just corporate clumsiness; it’s a pattern of neglect and greed that’s fucking over millions.

The Australian Pricing Fiasco: Misleading Millions Down Under

Start with the land of kangaroos and consumer watchdogs that actually bite. Microsoft’s been hauled into court by Australia’s competition regulator for allegedly misleading about 2.7 million subscribers on their Microsoft 365 plans. The allegation? They hiked prices under the guise of adding AI features like Copilot, but failed to make it crystal clear that folks could opt out and keep their old, cheaper subscriptions. Subscribers ended up paying more for bells and whistles they didn’t ask for – or even need. It’s classic bait-and-switch, dressed up in tech jargon.

The ACCC isn’t mincing words: since late 2024, Microsoft allegedly told auto-renewing customers they had to cough up extra or lose access altogether, when in reality, a “classic” version without the AI fluff was available at the original price. Now, Microsoft’s issuing apologies and refunds to those who switch back before the end of 2025, but only after getting dragged through the courts. How generous. This isn’t just a slip-up; it’s a calculated push to monetise AI at any cost, screwing over loyal users in the process. If this is their idea of “empowering every person”, then count me out – it’s empowerment for their shareholders, and a middle finger to everyone else.

Internal Dissent: The Ethics Portal Born from Middle East Mess

Shifting gears to the geopolitical swamp, Microsoft’s employees are fed up, and for good reason. Amid backlash over the company’s tech being used in controversial military ops in the Middle East – think surveillance and defence contracts that have protesters picketing – they’ve rolled out a new internal portal called the Trusted Technology Review. Employees can now anonymously flag concerns about how products are deployed, from ethical lapses to outright abuses.

This didn’t come from the goodness of their hearts. It followed internal probes into services provided to Israel’s Ministry of Defence, where Microsoft had to disable certain features after scrutiny. Reports suggest it was employee outrage over Gaza-related tech use that lit the fire. Now, workers have a direct line to report dodgy applications, but let’s call it what it is: damage control. Microsoft’s been cosying up to governments for years, raking in billions from cloud contracts, but when the human cost surfaces, they scramble for optics. It’s infuriating – a company worth trillions playing catch-up on basic ethics, all while their tools allegedly enable surveillance states. If this portal uncovers more rot, expect the floodgates to open.

Layoff Bloodbath: Cheating Workers Amid AI Gold Rush

Then there’s the human toll. Microsoft axed around 15,000 jobs in 2025 alone – that’s thousands of families thrown into chaos while the company posts record profits and pours billions into AI. CEO Satya Nadella even addressed it in a memo, calling it an “enigma” how they’re hiring in some areas while slashing elsewhere. Enigma? Bollocks. It’s a ruthless pivot to AI at the expense of real people.

Whispers of investigations abound, with claims that these cuts violated labour laws, prioritised foreign hires, or dodged severance payouts by framing them as performance-based. The White House has allegedly vowed to probe whether American workers were cheated in the process. Microsoft says it’s about aligning resources, but when you’re laying off 4% of your workforce – nearly 9,000 in one go – right after boasting about growth, it reeks of hypocrisy. These aren’t numbers; they’re lives upended for the sake of the next big tech bubble. Fuck that – if AI is the future, why does it demand such a brutal present?

Ransomware Slip-Up: AI Slop Invades the VS Code Marketplace

Security? Don’t get me started. A malicious extension dubbed “susvsex” – suspiciously AI-generated and packing ransomware capabilities – snuck onto Microsoft’s official Visual Studio Code marketplace. It encrypted files, stole data, and even used GitHub for command-and-control, all while masquerading as a harmless tool.

How the hell did this bypass their vetting? Reports point to lax oversight in an ecosystem flooded with third-party add-ons, many churned out by AI with minimal human checks. This “vibe-coded” crap didn’t even hide its malice well, yet it made it through. Developers worldwide could have been hit, exposing codebases and sensitive info. Microsoft’s response? Pull it down after the fact. Too little, too late. In a year where AI is hyped as the saviour, this shows the dark side: sloppy, exploitable garbage that turns their platforms into hacker playgrounds. Outrageous negligence from a company that should know better.

Vulnerability Avalanche: A Record-Breaking Security Nightmare

Speaking of security, 2025 has seen Microsoft smash records – not the good kind. Over 1,360 vulnerabilities disclosed in 2024 alone, with 2025 piling on more, shifting from remote code executions to privilege escalations, cloud risks, and AI abuses. Windows racked up 587 flaws, Server 684, and that’s just the tip.

Adversaries are now using generative AI for attacks, with ransomware in over half of incidents. Microsoft’s own reports admit it: infostealers like Lumma are rampant, and patches come thick and fast, but exploits keep coming. A critical Teams flaw in August added insult to injury. This isn’t innovation; it’s a sieve. Businesses rely on this stuff, yet Microsoft’s ecosystem is a vulnerability magnet. How many breaches before they get their act together? It’s maddening – a trillion-dollar titan fumbling the basics.

Azure Meltdown: When the Cloud Crashes to Earth

And let’s not forget the Azure outage that crippled global services in late October 2025. For hours, users couldn’t access core features – Microsoft 365, Xbox, you name it – all because of a botched configuration in their Front Door routing service.

Thousands reported issues, with businesses grinding to a halt. Microsoft restored it eventually, but the damage was done: lost productivity, eroded trust. This wasn’t a blip; it exposed the fragility of relying on one giant’s cloud. Coming hot on the heels of other 2025 incidents, it fuels criticism of cost-cutting post-layoffs. If your empire’s built on vapour, don’t be surprised when it evaporates. Pisses me off – they charge premium for reliability, then deliver this?

Looming Executive Shadows: Integrity on the Line

Finally, the rumblings of something bigger: executive integrity under fire. Whispers of scandals involving top brass, from anticompetitive accusations by partners like OpenAI to political demands for firings. President Trump publicly called for Microsoft to sack a former DOJ exec over past investigations, putting the company in a political crossfire.

Add FTC probes into AI partnerships and cloud dominance, and it smells like trouble. Details are murky, but if these erupt into full-blown revelations, it could dwarf the rest. Allegedly, it’s the biggest integrity hit yet – ethical lapses in high-stakes deals that question the whole leadership. Microsoft’s stayed mum, but the storm’s brewing. In a company already drowning in controversy, this could be the tipping point.

There you have it – more fuel for the fire. Microsoft’s not just a tech company; it’s a cautionary tale of unchecked power. If part one left you seething, this should have you raging. Until part three, because God knows – there’s more.

Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project

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