EU Plans to Bring Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS Under Strict Digital Markets Act Regulation
nashnova research
EU regulators have preliminarily concluded that Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS qualify as 'gatekeepers' under the Digital Markets Act, with a formal decision expected in November. This means cloud infrastructure would be subject to DMA obligations for the first time — including interoperability rules and anti-lock-in requirements.
What is a "gatekeeper," and why are cloud providers now in scope?
A gatekeeper — the DMA's label for platforms with dominant market power — must comply with a strict set of obligations once formally designated.
Azure and AWS are the world's two largest cloud providers. The EU sent preliminary findings to both companies in June 2026, concluding each meets the designation threshold.
This means → The DMA's regulatory reach has extended from app stores and search engines into cloud infrastructure for the first time — an entirely new category.
What would the two companies have to do?
Once designated, Azure and AWS would have six months to meet DMA obligations, centered on three requirements: interoperability, limits on customer lock-in, and a ban on self-preferencing.
In plain terms = you cannot make it easy for customers to sign up but hard to leave, and you cannot quietly give your own services an advantage on your own platform.
This reflects Europe's strategic concern over excessive reliance on non-EU cloud providers — a worry sharpened by several major global cloud outages in recent years.
How are Microsoft and Amazon responding?
Microsoft said it would continue "constructive engagement" with regulators; AWS emphasized that European customers have more cloud choices than ever.
Both responses are measured, avoiding confrontation — but "more choices than ever" is itself an argument that the market is competitive enough without extra regulation.
The decision remains in draft stage, the timeline could slip, and the lobbying window is still open.
How much has the DMA already fined, and what makes this different?
The DMA has already hit U.S. tech firms hard: Apple was fined €500 million, Meta €200 million, and Google a combined €890 million.
The law has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. President Trump and has become a friction point in EU-U.S. trade negotiations.
This means → If Azure and AWS are formally brought under the DMA, the implications go beyond compliance costs and business-model adjustments — it could intensify the political standoff between Europe and America over tech regulation.
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