Google plans to adjust how platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb appear in European search results to comply with the Digital Markets Act
Nov 28, 2024
Google is set to tweak the way it displays search results in Europe after smaller rivals complained that traffic to their sites dropped following previous changes by Alphabet’s Google unit. The move comes amid an EU investigation into possible violations of EU technology rules.
Key takeaways
- The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which went into effect last year, prohibits Google from favoring its own products and services. It aims to curb Big Tech’s dominance;
- Google has faced conflicting demands from price comparison sites, hotels, airlines and small retailers. Some report a 30% drop in direct booking clicks due to recent changes;
- Proposed changes include expanded, unified units that allow users to choose between comparison sites and supplier sites, new formats that allow competitors to display prices and images and new ad units tailored to comparison sites.
Get the full story at Reuters
