Google Forces EU Travel Search Changes Amid Compliance Deadline
Google has started rolling out changes to its travel search results in Europe as part of the region's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The company has been given a 60-day deadline to comply, which ends on September 23. If Google fails to meet this deadline, it could face fines of up to 5% of its global revenue.
The changes aim to address concerns over anticompetitive practices in the travel sector. However, Google claims that these new results are less user-friendly and may lead to a 30% drop in free direct booking traffic to businesses, as was seen after previous EU-mandated changes in 2024.
Interestingly, Google's own tests suggest that users don't like the new results as much. One way to measure this is that people have to retype their search queries more often due to the changes. This could be seen as a drawback for Google, which typically views increased search volume as a positive trend.
The DMA continues to face opposition from tech giants, including Google and other designated 'gatekeepers'. Meanwhile, the US government has threatened economic sanctions against the EU if it continues to fine US companies.