Google could face huge fines of the EU after failed to solve the search for search results. At the workshop 7.-8. July, Google designed competitors like SkyScanner and Booking.com to a special box at the top of travel search pages.
Critics immediately rejected both options and claimed to still prefer Google’s own services such as Google Hotels and Google flights. The European Commission will soon decide whether these changes meet the new Act on Digital Markets. If this is not the case, Google could be fined up to 10% of its global sales – approximately $ 30.7 billion based on last year’s income.
Travel companies killed Google proposals as misleading. SkyScanner Bryan Batista CEO warned proposals “the risk of misleading consumers” and actually “fix the Google position” at the peak of search results. According to Reuters, lawyer Thomas Hoppner, representing the complainant, Google accused Google of diverting attention of “own failure to comply” with exaggeration of conflicts between hotels and reservation points
Google’s legal chief Oliver Bethell faced that “competitive interests attract us in different directions”, according to Reuters, lasting solutions must balance all the needs of European users, not just several companies.
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The aim of the Act on Digital Markets in the field of EU digital markets is to strengthen great technological dominance and requires fair treatment of opponents. Google hotel and flight services are currently dominated by European search and pushing competitors from the first page. While Google claims that its repairs create “the same visibility”, critics notice that special boxes for opponents lack key features such as real -time prices.
Given that EU officials deciding in months will risk the first DMA, which potentially exceeds $ 5 billion Android’s anti -monopolate fine of $ 5 billion. The decision took years, but DMA dramatically accelerated enforcement.
The travel industry sources say that the tension stems from the dual role of Google as a “search referee and player”. Airlines do not tolerate Google Plan under third -party booking, while rivals like SkyCanner claim that the “box” solution is Ghettoize.
Despite recent improvements, none of the options will prevent Google from emphasizing the benefits of their own services, such as free cancellation or loyalty points.
As interviews happen, the EU may impose interim measures before the final decision, which potentially mandates the same location for all services during the investigation.
(Tagstotranslate) EU fines
