The European Union is increasingly shifting its focus from consumer apps to digital infrastructure. After years of regulating search engines, app stores and social media platforms, the European Commission has provisionally concluded that Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure should be designated as ‘gatekeepers’ under the Digital Markets Act. This is an important signal for the entire market: the cloud is no longer treated merely as a technological backbone, but is becoming one of the key battlegrounds in the regulatory fight for competition and digital sovereignty.
The decision is not yet final. Amazon and Microsoft may present their arguments before the Commission issues its final ruling. However, if Brussels upholds its position, the two largest global cloud providers will have to comply with additional obligations, including those relating to interoperability, data portability and restrictions on practices that favour their own services.
For European companies, this could mean an easier switch between providers and a lower risk of dependence on a single ecosystem. Today, the costs of changing platforms, technological dependencies and the complexity of migration mean that choosing a cloud provider often becomes a decision for years to come. The Commission specifically cites these lock-in effects as one of the main reasons for its intervention.
The issue also has a clear link to artificial intelligence. The development of AI is driving up demand for computing power, data, development tools and specialised infrastructure. AWS and Azure are therefore no longer just selling cloud storage space. They are building entire environments in which companies create, train and deploy AI systems. According to the Commission, this integration may strengthen their position in cloud procurement.
Amazon rejects this assessment, arguing that European customers have a wide choice of services, and that adding another layer of regulation could discourage investment and innovation. Microsoft, for its part, highlights the growing strength of Google Cloud and warns that overlooking this competitor could upset the market balance.
The dispute highlights a wider dilemma facing Europe. On the one hand, companies need access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, particularly in the age of AI. On the other, regulators want to curb a situation where the foundations of the digital economy are controlled by a handful of US players. If AWS and Azure are formally brought within the scope of the DMA, this will be one of the most important tests of whether European tech regulations can influence not only applications but also the infrastructure layer of the internet.
