EU moves to label Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure as DMA gatekeepers

The European Commission has taken a preliminary view that Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure should be designated as “gatekeepers” under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Although neither service meets the DMA’s quantitative thresholds for market size or user numbers, the Commission argues that both platforms are an essential gateway between businesses and their customers in the EU, controlling roughly 60 % of the European cloud market. It highlighted their large turnover, extensive investments, entrenched user bases and the lock‑in effects created by their AI tools and ecosystem partnerships.

If the gatekeeper status is confirmed, AWS and Azure will be subject to the DMA’s obligations – including interoperability, data‑portability requirements and a ban on self‑preferencing – and will have six months to ensure full compliance. The companies can now exercise their right of defence and respond before a final decision is expected later in the year.

The move is part of a broader EU effort to reduce dependence on US‑based cloud providers, promote European alternatives, and address trans‑Atlantic tensions. Google Cloud was not included in the preliminary assessment. EU officials warned that “we are increasingly reliant on cloud computing services” (Teresa Ribera) and stressed the need for a level playing field for all cloud operators.