The European Commission has taken a decisive step toward regulating the cloud computing market, issuing a preliminary view on June 25, 2026, that Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure should be designated as ‘gatekeepers’ under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The announcement signals the most aggressive antitrust intervention in the cloud sector to date and could force the two dominant providers to open their ecosystems, change commercial practices, and accept new interoperability obligations.

If the final designation is confirmed, AWS and Azure would join the ranks of Big Tech platforms already bound by the DMA’s strict do’s and don’ts. For Microsoft, the move carries deeper repercussions than just its cloud business—it ties straight into how Windows, Office 365, and the entire enterprise software stack integrate with Azure. The Commission’s preliminary view is not a final ruling, but it marks the beginning of a formal process that may reshape Europe’s cloud landscape for years to come.

What the European Commission Actually Announced

In a statement released mid-morning on June 25, the Commission said it had reached a “preliminary view” following a market investigation into cloud infrastructure services. The probe examined whether cloud computing platforms act as important gateways for businesses to reach end users, and whether they benefit from entrenched and durable market positions. The answer, according to the Commission’s initial assessment, is a clear yes for both AWS and Microsoft Azure.

The Digital Markets Act, in force since November 2022, originally listed ten core platform services—spanning search engines, social networks, video sharing, operating systems, and advertising services. Cloud computing was not among them. However, Article 3(8) of the DMA allows the Commission to designate additional services as core platform services after a market investigation, provided the service meets the qualitative criteria of a gatekeeper. The Commission launched such an investigation into cloud services in early 2025, and the June 25 preliminary view is the first public outcome.

Although the full text of the decision has not yet been published, early indications suggest the Commission found that AWS and Azure serve as indispensable intermediaries between business users and their own customers. Companies relying on cloud infrastructure have few viable alternatives, face high switching costs, and encounter technical and contractual barriers that lock in customers and stifle competition. The Commission is expected to formalize the preliminary view in a Statement of Objections within weeks, after which the two companies can exercise their rights of defence.

The DMA’s Gatekeeper Criteria, Explained

To understand why this step matters, it helps to look at the DMA’s quantitative and qualitative thresholds. A company can be designated as a gatekeeper for a specific core platform service if it meets three conditions: it has a significant impact on the internal market (typically annual EEA turnover of €7.5 billion or more, or a market capitalisation of €75 billion); it operates a core platform service that is an important gateway for business users to reach end users (over 45 million monthly active end users and 10,000 yearly active business users in the EU); and it has an entrenched and durable position (the thresholds have been met for three consecutive years).

For cloud computing, the Commission had to first determine that cloud infrastructure services constitute a core platform service. This required an in-depth market analysis. Preliminary findings indicate that the Commission is now convinced cloud services meet the DMA’s gateway definition. Both AWS and Azure easily exceed the financial and user thresholds, and their market shares—often cited as around 30–40% for AWS and 20–25% for Azure in the European market—have remained stable for years. Google Cloud, the third-largest player, has not been mentioned in the preliminary view, likely because its market share still lags significantly behind the top two.

What Does Gatekeeper Status Actually Mean for Cloud Providers?

Once formally designated, AWS and Azure will have six months to comply with a set of obligations laid out in Articles 5 to 7 of the DMA. These include:

  • Data portability obligations: Business users must be able to easily move their data, applications, and workloads to other cloud providers without penalties. The technical interfaces to enable seamless switching or multi-cloud operations must be provided free of charge.
  • Interoperability mandates: The gatekeepers will be required to allow third-party software and services to interoperate with their cloud platforms in the same way that their own services do. This could mean, for example, that Azure must expose APIs to let rival identity management tools work as smoothly as Microsoft Entra ID.
  • Self-preferencing bans: The gatekeepers cannot treat their own services more favourably in ranking, access to data, or commercial terms. In the cloud context, this might restrict how Microsoft bundles Azure services with Windows, Office 365, and Teams, or how AWS promotes its own database and AI services over competing third-party offerings.
  • No tying or bundling without consent: Cloud providers will not be allowed to require business users to use, assume, or interoperate with additional gatekeeper services as a condition of using the core cloud service. For Microsoft, this directly challenges the well-documented practice of integrating Azure Arc, Azure Active Directory, and Defender into corporate agreements that encompass Windows and Microsoft 365.
  • Transparency and fairness in ranking and pricing: Terms and conditions must be clearer, and business users shall have access to aggregated and non-aggregated data generated through their activities on the platform.

Non-compliance can trigger fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover, rising to 20% for repeated infringements, and—in extreme cases—structural remedies such as divestiture of businesses. The stakes are enormous.

How the Ruling Impacts Microsoft’s Ecosystem and Windows Users

For the windowsnews.ai audience, the Microsoft dimension is paramount. Microsoft Azure is not a standalone product. It is deeply woven into the firm’s identity, developer tools, enterprise agreements, and—crucially—Windows. Many Windows Server workloads are designed to run optimally on Azure; Windows 11 features like Copilot, integrated cloud services, and OneDrive sync all lean on Azure infrastructure. Enterprise customers often find that licensing rules make running Windows Server on non-Azure clouds significantly more expensive, a practice the DMA will undoubtedly scrutinize.

If the final designation forces Microsoft to unbundle Azure from its broader portfolio, Windows-based businesses could gain the freedom to choose alternative cloud providers without penalty. That would directly reduce the so-called “Azure tax” that some firms have complained about for years. It could also spur Microsoft to open its Azure APIs and toolsets more aggressively, enabling greater compatibility with AWS and Google Cloud. In theory, a Windows admin might one day manage virtual machines on Azure and AWS through a single, standards-based console not tied to Microsoft’s proprietary tooling.

Moreover, the self-preferencing ban could limit how Microsoft integrates its own services—like Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Monitor, and Power Platform—at the expense of rivals such as CrowdStrike, Datadog, or ServiceNow. Businesses that prefer best-of-breed solutions over a monolithic Microsoft stack may finally see a level playing field.

AWS and Amazon’s Competing Pressure

Amazon, too, faces an uncomfortable adjustment. AWS rose to dominance by offering a mind-boggling array of services that work seamlessly together, creating a powerful gravitational pull. E-commerce data from Amazon’s marketplace often flows into AWS analytics tools, and Alexa-based services are tightly coupled with AWS Lambda and other serverless offerings. The DMA’s data combination rules could force Amazon to erect walls between its retail and cloud data silos, limiting how AWS leverages synergies from other Amazon businesses.

For European startups and scale-ups that depend on AWS, the new interoperability and portability mandates could lower exit barriers. They might gain the ability to run their applications on AWS while using Azure’s AI services or Google Cloud’s data analytics, blending the best of each platform without crippling egress fees or compatibility troubles.

The Roadmap Ahead: Procedure and Possible Outcomes

The preliminary view is not the final word. The Commission will now send Statements of Objections to both AWS and Microsoft, giving them the opportunity to inspect the Commission’s file, reply in writing, and request an oral hearing. The companies can also propose commitments to address the Commission’s concerns, though remedies under the DMA are not negotiated in the same way as under antitrust settlement procedures; the gatekeeper obligations are directly applicable once designated.

After reviewing the companies’ responses, the Commission will adopt a final decision. If the preliminary view is upheld, AWS and Azure will officially become gatekeepers for cloud infrastructure services, and the six-month compliance clock will start ticking. The companies may also choose to challenge the designation before the EU General Court, which could delay implementation but not suspend the obligation to comply during the appeal.

Market watchers expect the process to take another 12 to 18 months before any binding rules come into effect, assuming no prolonged litigation. The announcement also opens the door for parallel investigations into other cloud-adjacent services—cloud marketplaces, platform-as-a-service offerings, and even AI model hosting—where gatekeeper dynamics may exist.

A New Era for Cloud Competition

If the Commission follows through, June 25, 2026, will be remembered as the day the cloud market entered a new regulatory paradigm. Just as the DMA forced Apple to open iOS to third-party app stores and required Meta to offer ad-free subscriptions, it now aims to dismantle the walled gardens of hyperscale clouds. For European businesses, the changes could lower costs, increase switching options, and foster a more competitive market where innovation flourishes beyond the largest incumbents.

For Windows enthusiasts and IT professionals, the Microsoft-specific implications are immediate: the company may need to rethink how it bundles, licenses, and integrates cloud services across its entire product line. Windows Server licensing, Azure Stack HCI, and even consumer services like OneDrive could see rule changes. Savvy admins should start watching Microsoft’s licensing guides for subtle shifts, as the company may attempt to preempt regulatory demands by voluntarily adjusting terms.

Critics of the digital sovereignty movement have long argued that Europe risks handicapping its own champions by over-regulating American tech giants. Yet the Commission’s view reflects a growing global consensus that cloud infrastructure has become too concentrated and too critical to leave unchecked. Whether the remedies ultimately benefit users or merely add compliance overhead remains an open question—but for now, the direction of travel is unmistakable.

Conclusion

The june 25 preliminary view marks a pivotal regulatory escalation. By identifying AWS and Azure as cloud gatekeepers, the European Commission has signaled its intent to apply the DMA’s full force to digital infrastructure. The coming months will be filled with legal briefs, lobbying, and technical debates about what true interoperability and fair competition look like in the cloud. For readers of windowsnews.ai, the thread worth pulling is Microsoft’s next move: will the company fight the designation tooth and nail, or embrace it as a catalyst to refocus Azure on open, standards-based value? One thing is certain—the days of unconstrained platform power in the European cloud market are numbered.