US Big Tech Controls 85% of Canada’s Cloud Market Ahead of AI Strategy

A report from the Canadian Anti‑Monopoly Project finds that Amazon, Microsoft and Google together hold 85 % of Canada’s publicly‑available cloud infrastructure, far above the global average of 66 %. Their individual shares are 42 % for Amazon, 31 % for Microsoft and 12 % for Google.

The Canadian government, preparing to release its national AI strategy, acknowledges that most data‑centre and cloud options in the country are foreign‑owned. Since 2021, Ottawa has spent almost CAD 1.3 billion on cloud services from U.S. providers, most of it with Microsoft. The strategy aims to build sovereign compute capacity and reduce dependence on a few U.S. hyperscalers, which the report warns poses a sovereign‑risk and competition problem. Policy analysts suggest the government could use its buying power and enforce interoperability to lower switching costs and foster competition.

Officials have not commented on the draft strategy, but the report highlights the geopolitical stakes of reliance on U.S. tech firms and the need for Canadian‑controlled cloud resources.