The European Commission is preparing to designate Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, the first such move against cloud platforms, according to legal analysis of the Commission’s June 25 preliminary finding.

Neither AWS nor Azure meets the DMA’s usual quantitative thresholds. The Commission is relying on qualitative criteria instead: entrenched user bases, high switching costs and the growing role of AI in locking customers into these ecosystems.

If confirmed, which is expected in November 2026, both providers will have six months to bring their cloud services into full compliance with the DMA’s obligations. These include interoperability, data portability and limits on self-preferencing.

AWS holds about 28 per cent of the worldwide cloud infrastructure market and Azure about 21 per cent, according to figures cited by critics of the move. Both companies can still contest the preliminary designation.

The decision follows market investigations launched in November 2025. Critics argue the cloud market is competitive, with most organisations using multiple providers.