Microsoft Office 365: Difference between revisions

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In January 2025, YouTuber Atomic Shrimp reported<ref name="video-explanation">{{cite web|author=Atomic Shrimp|title=Microsoft’s Sneaky Forced-Upsell to 365 Users; If You Don’t Need/Want Copilot, Don’t Pay for It|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYVPThx7yss|website=Youtube|date=25 Jan 2025|access-date=25 Feb 2025|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225115451/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYVPThx7yss%2A|archive-date=25 Feb 2025}}</ref> that Microsoft had enacted a "forced up-sell" of 365's new AI Copilot feature. Users with basic accounts (now called "Classic"), such as Shrimp himself, had been informed their subscription fee was going up, but that they would enjoy new features as a result, including Copilot. In his efforts to disable Copilot, Shrimp subsequently discovered that Microsoft now offered "Classic" plans, identical to the old basic plans both in features and in subscription fee. The option to downgrade to Classic, however, was only clearly visible to enterprise users, not to personal users. In essence Microsoft upgraded users' plans without their consent and hid the option to downgrade. While Atomic Shrimp's video suggested contacting support to revert to the "Classic" plan, it is possible to downgrade a personal account through the website via the cancellation process.

In October 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued Microsoft over the change, accusing it of misleading about 2.7 million customers.<ref name=":0" />

In October 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued Microsoft over the change, accusing it of misleading about 2.7 million customers.<ref name=":0" /> "The ACCC alleges that since 31 October 2024, Microsoft has told subscribers of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans with auto-renewal enabled that to maintain their subscription they must accept the integration of Copilot and pay higher prices for their plan, or, alternatively, cancel their subscription. The ACCC alleges this information provided to subscribers was false or misleading because there was an undisclosed third option, the Microsoft 365 Personal or Family Classic plans, which allowed subscribers to retain the features of their existing plan, without Copilot, at the previous lower price."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-27 |title=Microsoft in court for allegedly misleading millions of Australians over Microsoft 365 subscriptions |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/microsoft-in-court-for-allegedly-misleading-millions-of-australians-over-microsoft-365-subscriptions |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251216025233/https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/microsoft-in-court-for-allegedly-misleading-millions-of-australians-over-microsoft-365-subscriptions |archive-date=2025-12-16 |website=Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Federal Court of Australia |date=2025-10-27 |title=ACCC V Microsoft Concise Statement |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/accc-v-microsoft-concise-statement-27-october-2025.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251114100116/https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/accc-v-microsoft-concise-statement-27-october-2025.pdf |archive-date=2025-11-14 |website=Australian Competiton & Consumer Commission}}</ref>

===File Request===

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 In January 2025, YouTuber Atomic Shrimp reported<ref name="video-explanation">{{cite web|author=Atomic Shrimp|title=Microsoft’s Sneaky Forced-Upsell to 365 Users; If You Don’t Need/Want Copilot, Don’t Pay for It|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYVPThx7yss|website=Youtube|date=25 Jan 2025|access-date=25 Feb 2025|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225115451/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYVPThx7yss%2A|archive-date=25 Feb 2025}}</ref> that Microsoft had enacted a "forced up-sell" of 365's new AI Copilot feature. Users with basic accounts (now called "Classic"), such as Shrimp himself, had been informed their subscription fee was going up, but that they would enjoy new features as a result, including Copilot. In his efforts to disable Copilot, Shrimp subsequently discovered that Microsoft now offered "Classic" plans, identical to the old basic plans both in features and in subscription fee. The option to downgrade to Classic, however, was only clearly visible to enterprise users, not to personal users. In essence Microsoft upgraded users' plans without their consent and hid the option to downgrade. While Atomic Shrimp's video suggested contacting support to revert to the "Classic" plan, it is possible to downgrade a personal account through the website via the cancellation process.
-In October 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued Microsoft over the change, accusing it of misleading about 2.7 million customers.<ref name=":0" />
+In October 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) sued Microsoft over the change, accusing it of misleading about 2.7 million customers.<ref name=":0" /> "The ACCC alleges that since 31 October 2024, Microsoft has told subscribers of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans with auto-renewal enabled that to maintain their subscription they must accept the integration of Copilot and pay higher prices for their plan, or, alternatively, cancel their subscription. The ACCC alleges this information provided to subscribers was false or misleading because there was an undisclosed third option, the Microsoft 365 Personal or Family Classic plans, which allowed subscribers to retain the features of their existing plan, without Copilot, at the previous lower price."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-27 |title=Microsoft in court for allegedly misleading millions of Australians over Microsoft 365 subscriptions |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/microsoft-in-court-for-allegedly-misleading-millions-of-australians-over-microsoft-365-subscriptions |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251216025233/https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/microsoft-in-court-for-allegedly-misleading-millions-of-australians-over-microsoft-365-subscriptions |archive-date=2025-12-16 |website=Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Federal Court of Australia |date=2025-10-27 |title=ACCC V Microsoft Concise Statement |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/accc-v-microsoft-concise-statement-27-october-2025.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251114100116/https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/accc-v-microsoft-concise-statement-27-october-2025.pdf |archive-date=2025-11-14 |website=Australian Competiton & Consumer Commission}}</ref>
 ===File Request===