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Microsoft (MSFT.O) will continue to review shareholder proposals ahead of next year's annual shareholder meeting, a move made at the request of activist Paul Chesser aimed at protecting investor rights as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to tighten shareholder proposal rules. It is reported that Microsoft will continue to apply its existing thresholds for investor resolution submissions, even as the SEC considers related changeswhich critics say would marginalize individual investors, religious groups, and labor unions that have had a voice for decades. The agreement lasts one year but could effectively offset the SEC's efforts to shift power from investors to executives. Chesser hopes Microsoft's approach will become a governance model to ensure retail investors have a say. A Microsoft spokesperson said that given the SEC's announcement to review the regulatory framework for shareholder proposals, the company agreed to maintain the current eligibility thresholds for one year to provide a clear and predictable process for the next proxy cycle.