EU Opens DMA Probes Into AWS and Microsoft Azure Cloud Services

Overview

• The European Commission launched three market investigations targeting Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure under the DMA.
• Two probes will assess whether the cloud services qualify for gatekeeper designation, while a third examines whether the DMA can address anticompetitive conduct in cloud computing.
• The Commission set a 12‑month timeline to conclude the inquiries, which could add these cloud offerings to the firms’ regulated core platform services.
• If designated, obligations could include interoperability, data portability and non‑self‑preferencing, with penalties for violations reaching up to 10% of global annual revenue.
• Microsoft said it stands ready to contribute to the process, while AWS warned that gatekeeper labels could stifle innovation or raise European business costs, with recent outages intensifying scrutiny of market concentration.