European antitrust officials have concluded in preliminary findings that Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure meet the criteria to be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU regulatory framework that prescribes a list of obligations and prohibitions intended to create a more level competitive field in digital markets.
The recommendation follows a seven-month investigation by the EU competition authority. The regulators' initial assessment targets the two largest cloud computing platforms globally and would, if confirmed, subject them to the DMA’s specific dos and don'ts aimed at curbing the market influence of major technology providers.
Amazon responded to the preliminary conclusion by arguing the assessment fails to reflect the full scope of cloud services accessible to European customers. In its statement, the company warned that the findings could have the unintended effect of deterring European investment and slowing innovation, framing the DMA designation as a potential headwind for the region’s cloud-related capital deployment and technological development.
Microsoft also reacted to the regulators’ preliminary view, but emphasized a competitive concern of its own. A Microsoft spokesperson pointed to the growing strength of a rival cloud offering, citing Google Cloud and its Gemini model, and said that overlooking that development would distort market dynamics in a harmful way. That comment frames the debate over gatekeeper designation in part as a question of whether regulatory scrutiny is being applied consistently across major cloud providers.
The DMA sets out a prescribed list of behavioural requirements for firms identified as gatekeepers. While the EU’s preliminary findings indicate that AWS and Azure meet the threshold for such a designation, the outcome remains provisional pending any subsequent procedural steps the Commission will take as part of its review process.
The assertions and concerns from the two cloud operators reflect differing views on how the DMA could affect the cloud market within Europe. Amazon’s statement highlights potential consequences for investment and innovation in the region, while Microsoft draws attention to competitive shifts driven by other large providers.
Summary of the situation
EU antitrust regulators say AWS and Azure should be designated under the DMA after a seven-month probe. Amazon and Microsoft both publicly cautioned about the implications of the preliminary assessment, with Amazon warning it could discourage European investment and innovation and Microsoft noting the rise of Google Cloud and Gemini.