Commission reaches preliminary position that Amazon's and Microsoft's market leading cloud services should be designated under the DMA
EU cloud gatekeeper regulation could reshape vendor behaviour globally - Australian agencies reliant on AWS or Azure may see indirect effects on terms and interoperability.
Key points
- The EU Commission has preliminarily found AWS and Azure should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act.
- Cloud regulation shapes the infrastructure environment underpinning Australian government AI deployments, but this is an EU-specific proceeding.
- DMA designation for cloud would impose interoperability and fairness obligations - AI is a secondary framing, not the primary subject.
Implications for Australian agencies
- Monitor APS procurement and digital strategy teams may want to monitor whether DMA gatekeeper obligations on AWS and Azure produce changes to cloud terms or interoperability conditions that flow through to Australian government contracts.
Implications are AI-generated. Starting points, not advice — see methodology for how they're framed.
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"Commission reaches preliminary position that Amazon's and Microsoft's market leading cloud services should be designated under the DMA"
Source: EU Digital Strategy – News
Published: 25 June 2026
URL: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-reaches-preliminary-position-amazons-and-microsofts-market-leading-cloud-services-should
The European Commission has informed Amazon and Microsoft of its preliminary view that AWS and Azure should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, even though neither service meets the DMA's quantitative thresholds. The Commission's rationale centres on both platforms acting as important gateways between businesses and customers in the EU. Designation would impose obligations around interoperability, fairness, and competitive access. EU executives framed cloud as a prerequisite for AI and a matter of tech sovereignty. Amazon and Microsoft retain the right to respond before any final decision is taken.
Implications for Australian agencies:
- [Monitor] APS procurement and digital strategy teams may want to monitor whether DMA gatekeeper obligations on AWS and Azure produce changes to cloud terms or interoperability conditions that flow through to Australian government contracts.
Retrieved from SIMS, 18 July 2026.