Amazon, Microsoft's Cloud Services Should Fall Under DMA, EU Says

By Mauro Orru

The European Union said Amazon.com and Microsoft should be treated as gatekeepers for their cloud computing services under the bloc's Digital Markets Act, a designation that requires large tech companies to take extra steps to ensure they are not stifling competition.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, designated Amazon, Microsoft and other large U.S. tech groups as gatekeepers years ago for some services. The bloc said Thursday that it wanted to expand that designation to include their cloud services--Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure--saying their revenue, operational capacity and investments seem to have significantly outpaced those of competitors.

"We continue to engage constructively with the commission. The cloud sector in Europe is innovative, highly competitive and an accelerator for growth across the economy," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, it said earlier this month that applying the DMA to cloud services risked undermining competitiveness, deterring investment, and weighing on innovation.

The commission said its view that Amazon and Microsoft's cloud services should fall under the DMA was preliminary, meaning Amazon and Microsoft now have the right to go through the documents that the commission has at its disposal and reply in writing. If EU officials decide to proceed with the designation, the companies would have six months to ensure full compliance with the DMA's obligations.

Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 25, 2026 06:16 ET (10:16 GMT)