EU opens cloud gatekeeper probes for Amazon and Microsoft

The European Fee launched three market investigations into cloud computing companies on November 18, 2025, analyzing whether or not Amazon Net Providers and Microsoft Azure must be designated as gatekeepers below the Digital Markets Act. Two investigations will assess whether or not these companies meet standards for gatekeeper designation regardless of not reaching DMA thresholds for measurement, person numbers and market place. A 3rd investigation will study whether or not present DMA guidelines can successfully tackle aggressive considerations within the cloud sector.

Cloud computing serves as essential infrastructure for digital companies and synthetic intelligence growth throughout the European Union. Based on the Fee’s announcement, these companies should function in a good, open and aggressive setting to foster innovation, belief and Europe’s strategic autonomy.

Sturdy market positions below scrutiny

Current market analyses point out that Microsoft Azure and Amazon Net Providers occupy very sturdy positions in relation to companies and customers. The Fee will assess whether or not sure options of the cloud sector might additional reinforce the place of those two platforms.

The investigations study whether or not these cloud computing companies qualify as vital gateways between companies and customers below DMA definitions. If the Fee concludes that Microsoft Azure and Amazon Net Providers meet gatekeeper standards, the cloud computing companies can be added to the checklist of core platform companies for which Amazon and Microsoft are already designated as gatekeepers.

The Dutch competitors authority, Authority for Customers and Markets, helps the Fee in these investigations by means of a joint investigative crew, as offered for in cooperation guidelines below the DMA.

Timeline and compliance necessities

The Fee goals to conclude the market investigations on Microsoft Azure and Amazon Net Providers inside 12 months. Ought to the Fee designate Microsoft and Amazon as gatekeepers for his or her cloud computing companies, the businesses would have six months to make sure full compliance of their designated cloud computing companies with DMA obligations.

The market investigation assessing the DMA’s utility to cloud markets will lead to a remaining report back to be revealed inside 18 months. This report might suggest updates to DMA obligations relating to cloud companies by means of a delegated act pursuant to Article 12 and 49 of the DMA.

Scope of third investigation

The third market investigation gathers info from related market gamers to evaluate whether or not present DMA obligations successfully tackle practices that restrict competitiveness or equity within the cloud sector. The investigation will cowl obstacles to interoperability between cloud computing companies, restricted or conditioned entry for enterprise customers to information, tying and bundling companies, and doubtlessly imbalanced contractual phrases.

These considerations mirror these recognized in different jurisdictions. Australia’s competitors authority recognized potential dangers to competitors in cloud computing, together with technical boundaries to interoperability and excessive egress charges when shifting information out of cloud ecosystems, in response to the Digital platform services inquiry final report.

Gatekeeper designation course of

The DMA identifies giant digital platforms that present vital gateways between companies and customers. Even when a big digital platform doesn’t meet quantitative thresholds for measurement, person numbers or market place, the Fee might examine whether or not the supplier must be designated as a gatekeeper if it controls an vital gateway place.

When conducting such investigations, the Fee assesses components together with the supplier’s measurement, variety of customers, community results, scale and scope results, lock-in and switching prices, and the conglomerate company construction or vertical integration of the corporate.

This provision permits regulatory authorities to designate gatekeepers based mostly on qualitative assessments past purely quantitative metrics. Earlier DMA market investigation approaches have examined whether or not European and Chinese language companies exhibiting comparable traits to at the moment designated gatekeepers ought to face comparable scrutiny.

Government statements on cloud sovereignty

“Cloud computing companies are important for Europe’s competitiveness and resilience,” said Teresa Ribera, Government Vice-President for Clear, Simply and Aggressive Transition. “We would like this strategic sector to develop on truthful, open, and aggressive phrases.”

Henna Virkkunen, Government Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Safety and Democracy, emphasised cloud computing’s position in powering Europe’s digital future. “Such companies must be provided in a good, open and aggressive setting that fosters belief and secures Europe’s tech sovereignty,” Virkkunen said.

Implications for digital markets

The investigations arrive as cloud infrastructure turns into more and more central to digital promoting and advertising operations. Amazon DSP has expanded significantly throughout 2025, integrating Microsoft Monetize SSP as a most well-liked associate and changing into the designated transition path for Microsoft Make investments clients. These platform integrations reveal the interconnected nature of cloud computing and promoting know-how infrastructure.

Cloud companies more and more assist synthetic intelligence capabilities throughout the promoting ecosystem. Amazon’s infrastructure developments embrace cross-cloud information collaboration know-how that operates throughout AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure, highlighting how advertising know-how will depend on cloud infrastructure from a number of suppliers.

The timing of those investigations parallels ongoing DMA enforcement efforts in opposition to at the moment designated gatekeepers. The Fee has pursued a number of compliance investigations since DMA obligations turned legally binding in March 2024, with a number of instances leading to non-compliance choices and substantial fines.

Advertising professionals monitoring regulatory developments be aware that DMA enlargement to cloud companies might have an effect on how companies entry computational assets, information storage and analytics capabilities important for digital promoting operations. Focus considerations come up as AI demand will increase, with implications for the way smaller firms entry the infrastructure essential for aggressive advertising know-how deployment.

Trade context and aggressive dynamics

The Netherlands Authority for Customers and Markets and France’s Autorité de la concurrence have carried out market investigations into the cloud sector. The Competitors and Markets Authority in the UK and Denmark’s Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen are at the moment conducting comparable investigations.

The UK accomplished a market investigation following an Ofcom reference. That investigation really useful the CMA use its Digital Markets, Competitors and Customers Act powers to contemplate designating Microsoft and AWS with Strategic Market Status in relation to their respective digital actions in cloud companies. Nevertheless, no additional steps have been taken by the CMA on this respect.

These parallel investigations throughout a number of jurisdictions counsel rising regulatory concern about aggressive dynamics in cloud computing markets. The Fee’s resolution to launch formal DMA market investigations represents an escalation in European regulatory scrutiny of cloud infrastructure suppliers.

The investigations additionally study whether or not present authorized frameworks adequately tackle cloud market considerations. Some analysts counsel that present frameworks just like the Information Act might higher tackle particular considerations about licensing practices and information portability necessities, in response to submissions to the DMA review consultation.

Following complaints in 2021 and 2022, Microsoft modified its license situations in October 2022. These complaints had been subsequently withdrawn. Google filed an additional criticism in opposition to Microsoft in September 2024. The Microsoft Groups case investigated whether or not Microsoft’s cloud-based product Groups was tied to its productiveness software program. That case was resolved by means of Article 9 commitments provided by Microsoft.

Timeline

Abstract

Who: The European Fee initiated investigations into Amazon Net Providers and Microsoft Azure, working with the Netherlands Authority for Customers and Markets by means of a joint investigative crew. The investigations have an effect on companies and customers throughout the European Union that depend upon cloud computing infrastructure.

What: Three separate market investigations study whether or not Amazon Net Providers and Microsoft Azure must be designated as gatekeepers below the Digital Markets Act, and whether or not present DMA obligations can successfully tackle practices limiting competitiveness and equity within the cloud computing sector. The investigations will assess market positions, interoperability obstacles, information entry situations, service bundling practices, and contractual phrases.

When: The European Fee introduced the investigations on November 18, 2025. The Fee goals to conclude the gatekeeper designation investigations inside 12 months, with a six-month compliance interval if designation happens. The investigation on DMA utility to cloud markets will produce a remaining report inside 18 months.

The place: The investigations apply throughout all 27 European Union member international locations, analyzing cloud computing companies offered to companies and customers all through the area. The investigations cowl cloud infrastructure important for AI growth and digital companies throughout European markets.

Why: Cloud computing serves as spine infrastructure for digital companies and synthetic intelligence growth. The Fee seeks to make sure this strategic sector operates below truthful, open and aggressive situations. Current market analyses point out Microsoft Azure and Amazon Net Providers occupy very sturdy market positions, with options of the cloud sector doubtlessly reinforcing these positions and limiting competitiveness by means of interoperability obstacles, information entry restrictions, service tying and bundling, and imbalanced contractual phrases.