Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeInformation TechnologyNewsMicrosoft, Amazon cloud units face tough EU rules for Big TechThe Digital Markets Act has drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump and complicated transatlantic trade talksAuthor of the article:Last updated 1 hour ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Regulators said that Microsoft and Amazon “occupy very strong positions” in the cloud market, and began an investigation to determine whether the services should be hit by the DMA. Photo by Igor Golovniov / SOPA Images/Sipa USAMicrosoft Corp.’s Azure and Amazon Web Services face tough European Union guardrails after regulators said they should be targeted by the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIn preliminary findings issued Thursday, the EU said Azure and AWS represent “the largest and second largest cloud computing services in the EU respectively,” have “achieved significant turnover, and their operational capacity and investments seem to have significantly outpaced those of competitors.”EU competition chief Teresa Ribera added that the services “will only continue to grow in importance, which is why it essential that we ensure a well-functioning and competitive market, and a level playing field for all cloud service providers.”Breaking business news, incisive views, must-reads and market signals. Weekdays by 9 a.m.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Posthaste will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againShould the services eventually face the full force of DMA when the Brussels-based European Commission concludes its probe, they would face a range of obligations, including interoperability requirements and curbs on customer lock-in and self-preferencing. Bloomberg News earlier reported on the escalation.The Brussels-based commission said that Amazon and Microsoft have a right to contest the findings before a final decision is eventually made on the DMA designation.An AWS spokesperson said that the “preliminary findings disregard the breadth of cloud services available to European customers and risk deterring European investment and innovation.”Microsoft, meanwhile, criticized the commission for not targeting Alphabet Inc.’s cloud business, noting that the company is “concerned that ignoring the growing power of Google Cloud and Gemini will tilt the market in a harmful way.”Regulators said last November that Microsoft and Amazon “occupy very strong positions” in the cloud market, and began a formal market investigation to determine whether the services should be hit by the DMA. The law — which includes a list of dos and don’ts for powerful companies enjoying so-called gatekeeper status — was intended to stop abusive conduct before its takes hold and allows digital giants to dominate markets.But over recent months, the law has also drawn the ire of United States President Donald Trump and complicated transatlantic trade talks. Apple Inc. and Meta have been the first recipients of financial penalties for allegedly breaching the law, with fines of €500 million (US$568 million) and €200 million respectively. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.