French search engine Qwant has formally asked France’s antitrust authority to consider interim measures against Microsoft, alleging that the tech giant’s Bing platform is undermining the quality of Qwant’s search results. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Qwant, which depends on Bing’s technology for much of its search functionality, is pushing for regulatory action while its complaint is under review.

The French competition watchdog has reached out to other search engine providers for input and is expected to make a decision by September on whether to impose temporary restrictions on Microsoft or initiate a full investigation.

Interim actions are typically reserved for cases where there is clear evidence that a dominant company has abused its market power, causing significant and immediate damage to competitors.

Both Qwant and the French regulator have declined to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Microsoft dismissed the allegations, stating, “This complaint lacks merit. We are fully cooperating with the Autorité’s investigation,” referring to the French competition authority.

Smaller search engines in Europe often rely on backend technologies provided by larger companies like Microsoft to deliver their search results and news content. However, there is growing concern among these smaller players that Microsoft may cut off or degrade these services, putting their operations at risk.

Violations of French antitrust laws can lead to hefty penalties, including fines of up to 10% of a company’s global revenue.