European Commission lines up Amazon and Microsoft for cloud gatekeeper status

- The European Commission is preparing to designate Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure as "gatekeepers" under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law that imposes strict rules on the largest digital platforms to prevent anti-competitive behavior. - "Gatekeeper" status applies to companies with a dominant position in a core service, making them unavoidable for businesses and consumers. Designated firms must allow data portability, interoperability, and fair access — and cannot self-preference or bundle services anti-competitively. - AWS and Microsoft dominate cloud infrastructure. The EU sees this market as increasingly critical and potentially locked-in. Designation would force them to make switching and multi-cloud setups easier for customers. - The DMA has already designated Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon (retail), and ByteDance (TikTok). Cloud services have not previously been covered. - This move expands EU regulation from consumer-facing platforms into enterprise/B2B infrastructure — reflecting European concerns about dependency on US hyperscalers and digital sovereignty.