The European Commission launched formal investigations into Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services on November 18, examining whether to designate the cloud giants as ‘gatekeepers’ under the Digital Markets Act.
Together, Azure and AWS command roughly 70% of European cloud revenue. While neither company meets the DMA’s quantitative thresholds of 45 million active users and €75 billion market cap, regulators argue qualitative dominance justifies the classification.
Preliminary findings are expected around late June 2026, with a final decision targeted by year’s end. If designated, both platforms would face strict interoperability mandates, restrictions on lock-in practices, data portability rights, and scrutiny of egress fees-the charges companies pay to move data out. Such fees have been criticized as switching costs that stifle competition.
Amazon already holds gatekeeper status for its Marketplace, and Microsoft for LinkedIn. A cloud designation would expand the DMA’s reach into infrastructure services. Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 10% of global turnover, doubling for repeat offenses.