The European Commission has informed Amazon and Microsoft of its preliminary view that their cloud computing services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The Commission said AWS and Azure are the largest and second-largest cloud providers in the EU and serve as critical gateways between businesses and customers, despite not meeting the DMA’s standard quantitative thresholds.

Concerns Over Market Power

According to the Commission, both companies benefit from extensive user bases, strong lock-in effects, high switching costs and broad ecosystems that make it difficult for competitors to challenge their market positions.

The Commission also noted that growing demand for artificial intelligence services is further strengthening AWS and Azure, as their AI tools and partnerships are increasingly influencing cloud procurement decisions.

Next Steps

The preliminary findings follow market investigations launched in November 2025. Amazon and Microsoft now have the opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.

If the findings are confirmed, both companies will be formally designated as gatekeepers for their cloud services and will have six months to comply with the DMA’s obligations aimed at ensuring fair competition in digital markets.