Brussels, 31 July 2025 – CISPE has actively contributed information and insights to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Cloud Market Inquiry over the past two years. We are disappointed that the final report sidelines the reality facing UK and European cloud infrastructure providers. Instead, it frames the issue primarily as a dispute between hyperscalers, positioning the CMA as referee, while largely ignoring the competitive potential and challenges of local providers.
Our members are particularly concerned by the decision to exclude Google from further scrutiny by the Digital Markets Unit (DMU). While Google may be the smallest of the major hyperscalers, it still dwarfs any European provider in terms of market power, especially in areas such as data dominance and AI infrastructure. Treating Google as if it were comparable to UK firms with just tens of millions in annual turnover risks further entrenching its dominance and undermining fair competition. We urge the DMU to keep Google within the scope of its oversight.
It is also concerning that the CMA report fails to acknowledge the tangible progress achieved through CISPE’s work, particularly in securing fairer software licensing terms that address several of the core issues identified in the inquiry. These new terms offer a fast, practical route to improving market conditions, enabling UK and European providers to better compete on fair terms with all hyperscalers, and delivering real benefits to customers across the region.
CISPE remains committed to supporting a diverse, competitive, and innovative cloud ecosystem in the UK and across Europe. We call on the CMA and DMU to recognise and reinforce this goal in their ongoing actions.
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For further information please contact:
Ben Maynard
Director of Communications, CISPE
Ben.maynard@cispe.cloud +44 (0) 7968 537982