EU Commission probes AWS and Azure for cloud gatekeeper status under the DMA

The European Commission has opened market investigations into cloud computing services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. Cloud infrastructure underpins most digital services and is central to AI development, making competitiveness and openness in this sector a priority for innovation, trust, and Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Two investigations will assess whether AWS and Azure should be designated as gatekeepers for cloud services, even though they do not meet the standard DMA thresholds for size, user numbers, and market position. If found to be “important gateways,” their cloud offerings would be added to the list of core platform services for which Amazon and Microsoft are already gatekeepers, triggering DMA obligations tailored to cloud markets.

A third investigation evaluates whether current DMA rules can effectively address practices that may undermine competition and fairness in EU cloud markets. The Commission is collecting evidence on interoperability barriers, restricted or conditioned data access for business users, tying and bundling of services, and potentially imbalanced contractual terms. This inquiry aims to test whether existing obligations sufficiently safeguard contestability in cloud services.

The Commission intends to conclude the AWS and Azure gatekeeper assessments within 12 months. The broader inquiry into the DMA’s application to cloud markets will culminate in a final report within 18 months, which may propose updates to relevant obligations via a delegated act under Articles 12 and 49 DMA. The outcomes could reshape compliance expectations for major cloud providers and recalibrate the EU’s approach to cloud competition and data access.