EU moves to place Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS under Digital Markets Act rules
The European Commission is preparing to designate Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon’s AWS as platforms subject to the Digital Markets Act, imposing interoperability and anti-lock-in obligations.
EU authorities are close to concluding that Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon Web Services will fall under the Digital Markets Act, the bloc’s comprehensive tech-gatekeeping legislation. The draft ruling, slated for release in November, will obligate the two cloud giants to ensure interoperability with rival services and curb practices that lock customers into their platforms. The European Commission disclosed that it sent initial findings to the companies in June 2026 and that the assessment process remains ongoing.
Once designated, Azure and AWS will have a six-month window to align with the obligations, which aim to reduce strategic dependence on non-EU cloud providers. The move follows earlier fines imposed on other U.S. tech firms for breaching the same law. Both Microsoft and Amazon have reiterated their willingness to work constructively with regulators.
Why it matters
EU rules could reshape how major cloud providers operate, affecting data sovereignty and competition for European businesses.
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