Brussels eyes AWS, Azure for gatekeeper tag in cloud clampdown

The European Commission has launched investigations into Amazon and Microsoft's cloud services, and plans to review if legislation introduced in 2022 is being applied effectively to the cloud market.

The executive branch of the EU will consider whether Amazon and Microsoft should be named as "gatekeepers" for their cloud computing services under the Digital Markets Act, a designation that creates special obligations for the two hyperscalers, and fines of up to 10 percent of worldwide turnover if they do not meet them.

The EC is determining whether the two cloud giants act as important gateways between businesses and consumers, even though they do not automatically qualify under the DMA's quantitative thresholds.

If they are found to be gatekeepers under the DMA, they will have to allow third parties to interoperate with their own services and allow users to access the data they generate on the platform, for example ...