This article first appeared on GuruFocus .
Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) Azure and Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) Web Services could be moving closer to tougher EU oversight as regulators prepare preliminary findings on their cloud market power. The European Commission is expected to say as early as next week that both services appear to meet the requirements for the Digital Markets Act.
A final decision is expected by the end of this year, though the timing could still change. If Azure and AWS are ultimately brought under the DMA, they could face new obligations around interoperability, customer lock-in, and self-preferencing.
The review follows the Commission's November statement that Microsoft and Amazon hold very strong positions in cloud. It also comes after major outages hit the industry, including a roughly 15-hour AWS disruption affecting companies from Apple to McDonald's and Epic Games, while Azure issues in October disrupted Alaska Airlines check-ins and Scottish Parliament voting.
