EU DMA Review Could Designate AWS and Azure Gatekeepers: Cloud Switching and Portability Impact

For enterprise IT teams, the important question is not simply whether Brussels adds another regulatory label. It is whether the resulting obligations make cloud switching, data portability and interoperability more practical—and what the eventual decisions actually require.

What the EU has established​

The European Commission publicly announced its preliminary position on June 25, 2026: AWS and Azure should fall under the DMA as gatekeeper cloud services. Its assessment identifies AWS as the largest cloud-computing service in the EU and Azure as the second-largest, with both acting as important gateways between businesses and their customers.

A significant detail is that the services do not meet the DMA’s quantitative designation thresholds. The Commission’s preliminary case instead rests on their importance as gateways. Both companies have the opportunity to respond before final decisions are taken. That makes this a proposed designation, not a finding that either provider has already violated the DMA.

The Commission told Bloomberg that its assessments remained ongoing and no final decision had been made. Microsoft’s spokesperson referred to the company’s earlier position that it engages constructively with regulators; AWS pointed to an earlier statement arguing that European cloud customers have more choice than ever. Those responses do not settle the regulatory question, but they underline that the process remains contested.

Three investigations, not one sweeping verdict​

The Commission opened three cloud market investigations on November 18, 2025. Two concern the proposed gatekeeper designations for AWS and Azure. The third asks a broader question: whether existing DMA obligations can effectively address unfair practices or restrictions on competition in cloud computing.

That broader inquiry covers:

• Barriers to interoperability between cloud services.
• Limited or conditional business-user access to data.
• Tying and bundling of services.
• Potentially imbalanced contractual terms.

These are investigation topics—not established misconduct by either company. The distinction matters: a list of regulatory concerns is not a charge sheet.

Microsoft and Amazon are already DMA gatekeepers for other services. A successful cloud designation would add Azure and AWS to their respective lists of covered core platform services, rather than bring the companies under the law for the first time.

When would the six-month deadline begin?​

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, which worked with the Commission on the investigation, confirms that a final cloud designation would give the providers six months to comply with the relevant DMA obligations. The June preliminary position did not start that clock.

ACM describes switching options and data portability as examples of gatekeeper obligations. Bloomberg’s report also identifies interoperability and restrictions on customer lock-in and self-preferencing as expected requirements. However, those descriptions should not be mistaken for a published, cloud-specific implementation order. The final decisions and compliance details will be essential to understanding what changes customers can actually expect.

What enterprise customers should do now​

The practical takeaway is preparation, not a hurried migration. Based on the issues regulators are examining, IT and procurement teams should consider three questions:

1. Can we retrieve our data? Document export requirements, contractual restrictions and unresolved access questions.
2. What would switching involve? Ask providers to explain dependencies, termination terms and the assistance available when leaving.
3. Which interoperability problems can we demonstrate? Record specific obstacles rather than relying on a general complaint about lock-in.

These are planning recommendations, not newly imposed customer duties. They translate the Commission’s investigation themes into questions an organization can assess before any final designation. ACM also says businesses can report potential DMA-related impediments involving platform access, data exchange or interoperability.

The bottom line: Azure and AWS are approaching a potentially consequential regulatory milestone, but November remains reported timing, not a confirmed deadline. Enterprise customers should watch for the final designation, its precise scope and the resulting compliance measures—not assume that a regulatory announcement will make complex workloads portable overnight.