EU May Classify Amazon and Microsoft Cloud Services as Gatekeepers Under Tech Rules
EU Antitrust Regulators Target Cloud Computing Giants
BRUSSELS, June 25 (Reuters) - Amazon and Microsoft's cloud computing services should be designated gatekeepers under EU rules aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech, EU antitrust regulators said on Thursday.
Digital Markets Act and Cloud Providers
Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, the two largest cloud providers globally, should be designated gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act which sets out a list of dos and don'ts to ensure a level playing field, the European Commission said.
Preliminary Findings from the EU Competition Enforcer
The preliminary findings by the EU competition enforcer came after a seven-month long investigation.
Responses from Amazon and Microsoft
Amazon's Reaction
Amazon said the preliminary assessment disregard the breadth of cloud services available to European customers and risk deterring European investment and innovation.
Microsoft's Concerns
Microsoft pointed to its rival Google's growing power.
Microsoft Spokesperson Statement
"We remain concerned that ignoring the growing power of Google Cloud and Gemini will tilt the market in a harmful way," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
