public company

Microsoft

A public software, cloud, gaming, and AI company with durable platform power, high margins, lock-in concerns, and recent large workforce reductions. Microsoft remains weak because of youth capture and ideological disavowal, even where the product or service has practical value.

Why this matters: Microsoft shows how useful infrastructure can still be governed primarily by shareholder return and platform leverage.

Letter grade D Extractive High confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 6, 2026

Final Score 15* D - Extractive

DEXTRACTIVE15 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material27

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap27

Penalties-12

Private Government badge

Microsoft receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1.6M on public policy issues.

Evidence: [13]

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Evaluation Overview

D - Extractive

The score turns mainly on Labor Sovereignty, with the largest penalty coming from Policy Capture.

Strengths

Labor Sovereignty4/7
Product Integrity4/5
Extraction3/10

Penalties

Policy Capture-7
Youth Capture-3
Ideological Disavowal-2

Evidence state

ConfidenceHigh confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims13
Direct axis claims12
Coverage12/12

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	2 / 10	Microsoft is a publicly traded corporation governed through shareholder-facing investor and board structures. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 78 scored entries below, 21 tied, 127 above on Ownership. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4] Microsoft is a publicly traded corporation governed through shareholder-facing investor and board structures. [5]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	2 / 10	Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. That keeps Microsoft low on Governance: ordinary users, workers, customers, or affected communities cannot change the rules that govern them. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 71 scored entries below, 22 tied, 133 above on Governance. Linked evidence Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	3 / 10	Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. That keeps Microsoft low on Extraction: the business model makes extraction from workers, users, suppliers, customers, or the public central rather than incidental. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 39 scored entries below, 22 tied, 165 above on Extraction. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	4 / 7	Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. That places Microsoft in the middle of Labor Sovereignty: workers or participants have some protection or agency, but not enough binding power to control the relationship. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 112 scored entries below, 39 tied, 75 above on Labor Sovereignty. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4] Microsoft reports employee stock and savings plans, but corporate governance remains managerial and shareholder-facing while layoffs show workers do not control strategic labor decisions. [6]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	3 / 7	Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. That places Microsoft in the middle of Solidarity with the Unemployed: some access, severance, retraining, openness, or mutual-aid value is present, but it is not central or durable. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 81 scored entries below, 45 tied, 100 above on Solidarity with the Unemployed. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4] Microsoft products and cloud services are important infrastructure, but layoffs and enterprise pricing mean the firm offers limited structural solidarity for people outside employment or purchasing power. [7]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	3 / 7	Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. That places Microsoft in the middle of Loss-Bearing Fidelity: there is some willingness to preserve obligations, but the record still leaves meaningful risk-shifting concerns. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 48 scored entries below, 39 tied, 139 above on Loss-Bearing Fidelity. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	3 / 5	The United States v. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 54 scored entries below, 51 tied, 121 above on Market Conduct. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	4 / 5	Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. That places Microsoft high on Product Integrity: the core offering is genuinely useful and comparatively less dependent on traps, degradation, or harmful dependencies. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 61 scored entries below, 72 tied, 93 above on Product Integrity. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4] Microsoft’s annual report describes widely used operating systems, productivity software, cloud services, developer tools, gaming, and AI products that have real utility despite lock-in and bloat concerns. [8]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	3 / 5	Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. That places Microsoft in the middle of Scale Integrity: scale brings useful reach but also weakens accountability, transparency, or local constraint. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 50 scored entries below, 58 tied, 118 above on Scale Integrity. Linked evidence context Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control. [1] context Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure. [2] context Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit. [3] context The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in. [4] Microsoft’s annual report shows global platform scale across cloud, productivity, developer, and AI infrastructure, making quality and accountability harder because product decisions affect enormous dependent populations. [9]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Policy Capture ? Private-interest attempts to bend law, regulation, subsidies, taxes, enforcement, trade, labor, safety, competition, environmental, healthcare, housing, surveillance, civil-liberties, or consumer policy against workers, customers, citizens, affected communities, or ecological life. Public-interest advocacy is not penalized merely because it is lobbying. Range: -15 to 0.	-7	OpenLobby records MICROSOFT CORP lobbying on education, homeland security, internet policy, trade, immigration, consumer protection, and other issues with about $1.6M in spending across 28… OpenLobby records MICROSOFT CORP lobbying on education, homeland security, internet policy, trade, immigration, consumer protection, and other issues with about $1.6M in spending across 28 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. That warrants a substantial Policy Capture penalty because private institutional pressure is being applied to public rules while affected people cannot democratically govern that agenda. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Linked evidence OpenLobby records MICROSOFT CORP lobbying on education, homeland security, internet policy, trade, immigration, consumer protection, and other issues with about $1.6M in spending across 28 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. [12]
Youth Capture ? Manipulative youth-directed marketing, youth-data or attention monetization, collectible/add-on traps, parasocial or identity capture, surprise mechanics, or treating young people as lower-disclosure consumers. Making useful toys or welcoming children is not itself penalized. Range: -5 to 0.	-3	The FTC required Microsoft to pay $20 million to settle charges that it collected personal information from children signing up for Xbox without parental notice or consent and illegally retained children’s personal information. The FTC required Microsoft to pay $20 million to settle charges that it collected personal information from children signing up for Xbox without parental notice or consent and illegally retained children’s personal information. That warrants a substantial Youth Capture penalty because young people are treated as manipulable consumers, data sources, attention targets, or culture markets. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 7 scored entries below, 2 tied, 217 above on Youth Capture. Linked evidence The FTC required Microsoft to pay $20 million to settle charges that it collected personal information from children signing up for Xbox without parental notice or consent and illegally retained children’s personal information. [10]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-2	Microsoft's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Microsoft exercises meaningful institutional or cultural power while strongly presenting contested choices… Microsoft's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Microsoft exercises meaningful institutional or cultural power while strongly presenting contested choices as neutral expertise, safety, objectivity, professionalism, administrative necessity, or public service. That warrants a substantial Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Ideological Disavowal 0 to -3 recalibration: 0 for explicit standpoint or no penalty-level neutrality theater; -1 for bounded softening of contested choices; -2 for strong neutrality theater by a powerful institution; -3 for major gatekeeping or coercive power presented as neutral, necessary, objective, or non-ideological. Uncertainty This recalibration uses public self-presentation and profile evidence; later review should add direct language-analysis evidence for high-impact institutions. Linked evidence Microsoft's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Microsoft exercises meaningful institutional or cultural power while strongly presenting contested choices as neutral expertise, safety, objectivity, professionalism, administrative necessity, or public service. [11]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

High 85/100

12 verified linked claims 12 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 12/12 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 17/20

12 verified linked claims

Source quality 16/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 14/18

12 direct claims across 12 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 10/10

12/12 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceHigh confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Microsoft conducts shareholder voting through its annual shareholder meeting and proxy process rather than worker or stakeholder democratic control.

Governance Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 5, 2026

Microsoft Annual Meeting of ShareholdersGeneral web source · 58%

2Microsoft reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $281.7 billion, operating income growth, and continuing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure.

Extraction Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 5, 2026

Microsoft FY2025 Form 10-KPrimary public record · 100%

3Microsoft laid off about 6,000 workers in May 2025, roughly 3% of its workforce, shortly after reporting strong sales and profit.

Loss Bearing Fidelity Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 5, 2026

AP: Microsoft lays off about 3% of workforceIndependent reporting · 82%
CNBC: Microsoft cutting 3% of workersGeneral web source · 58%

4The United States v. Microsoft findings remain relevant evidence that Microsoft has historically exercised durable platform power and lock-in.

Market Conduct Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 4, 2026

United States v. Microsoft findings of factPrimary public record · 100%

5Microsoft is a publicly traded corporation governed through shareholder-facing investor and board structures.

Ownership Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 4, 2026

Microsoft investor relationsOfficial self-description · 68%

6Microsoft reports employee stock and savings plans, but corporate governance remains managerial and shareholder-facing while layoffs show workers do not control strategic labor decisions.

Labor Sovereignty Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Microsoft 2024 annual reportPrimary institutional record · 90%
Microsoft annual shareholder meetingGeneral web source · 58%
United States v. Microsoft findings of factPrimary public record · 100%
AP: Microsoft lays off about 3% of workforceIndependent reporting · 82%

7Microsoft products and cloud services are important infrastructure, but layoffs and enterprise pricing mean the firm offers limited structural solidarity for people outside employment or purchasing power.

Solidarity Unemployed Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Microsoft 2024 annual reportPrimary institutional record · 90%
Microsoft annual shareholder meetingGeneral web source · 58%
United States v. Microsoft findings of factPrimary public record · 100%
AP: Microsoft lays off about 3% of workforceIndependent reporting · 82%

8Microsoft’s annual report describes widely used operating systems, productivity software, cloud services, developer tools, gaming, and AI products that have real utility despite lock-in and bloat concerns.

Product Integrity Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Microsoft 2024 annual reportPrimary institutional record · 90%
Microsoft annual shareholder meetingGeneral web source · 58%
United States v. Microsoft findings of factPrimary public record · 100%
AP: Microsoft lays off about 3% of workforceIndependent reporting · 82%

9Microsoft’s annual report shows global platform scale across cloud, productivity, developer, and AI infrastructure, making quality and accountability harder because product decisions affect enormous dependent populations.

Scale Integrity Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Microsoft 2024 annual reportPrimary institutional record · 90%
Microsoft annual shareholder meetingGeneral web source · 58%
United States v. Microsoft findings of factPrimary public record · 100%
AP: Microsoft lays off about 3% of workforceIndependent reporting · 82%

10The FTC required Microsoft to pay $20 million to settle charges that it collected personal information from children signing up for Xbox without parental notice or consent and illegally retained children’s personal information.

Youth Capture Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 7, 2026

FTC: Microsoft Xbox children privacy settlementPrimary public record · 100%

11Microsoft's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because Microsoft exercises meaningful institutional or cultural power while strongly presenting contested choices as neutral expertise, safety, objectivity, professionalism, administrative necessity, or public service.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 9, 2026

AI scaffold

Microsoft official siteGeneral web source · 58%
United States v. Microsoft findings of factPrimary public record · 100%
Microsoft FY2025 Form 10-KPrimary public record · 100%

12OpenLobby records MICROSOFT CORP lobbying on education, homeland security, internet policy, trade, immigration, consumer protection, and other issues with about $1.6M in spending across 28 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role.

Policy Capture Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — MICROSOFT CORP lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

13Microsoft receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1.6M on public policy issues.

Private Government Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — MICROSOFT CORP lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

Competitors

DEXTRACTIVE22 Basecamp private software company · same market DEXTRACTIVE10 Nvidia public company · same market DEXTRACTIVE8 Oracle public company · same market DEXTRACTIVE7 Adobe public company · same market DEXTRACTIVE5 OpenAI private company / nonprofit-controlled structure · same market FMALIGNANT-14 RealPage rental pricing software company · same market FMALIGNANT-22 Palantir Technologies government data and surveillance software company · same market

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Evidence comes in through contributors, is checked by verifiers, and is synthesized by reviewers. Founder authority remains narrow and visible; scores recalculate when verified claims or the rubric change.

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Audit Log

Recent public changes for this company or group. The full audit log is part of the Transparency record.

May 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding youth-capture-assessment

Added source-backed Youth Capture penalty -3 based on evidence specific to youth data, child-directed marketing, loot-box/gambling-like monetization, or youth-culture manipulation.

May 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding toxic-products-assessment

Added tentative AI-generated Toxic Products penalty 0 and directory value for current toxic, addictive, pesticide, livestock, chemical, or consumer-safety product exposure.

May 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding confidence-calibration

Rechecked evidence coverage and source quality during the evaluation-quality pass; confidence now reflects direct source coverage, complexity, and remaining uncertainty rather than score direction.

May 5, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai_scaffolding score

Published tentative AI-generated scaffolding score 35 for initial human review under gcd-rubric-v1.

May 5, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding initial-evaluation-quality-pass

Added sourced claims and revised tentative AI score components during the initial evaluation completion pass.

View Full Audit Log