European Commission Finds Google Favors Its Own Travel Listings, Violates Competition Rules
Photo Credit: Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten near Hamburg, Germany. Adobe Stock / Koshiro K
Skift Take
Skift has been arguing for more than a decade that Google creates an anti-competitive playing field by self-preferencing its own travel businesses over those of competitors. The European Commission's wheels are turning very slowly.
The European Commission issued preliminary findings this week that said Google's parent Alphabet breached the Digital Markets Act in its hotels and flights businesses because Google "self-preferences its own services over those of third parties."
"More specifically, Alphabet gives its own services more prominent treatment compared to others by displaying them at the top of Google Search results or on dedicated spaces, with enhanced visual formats and filtering mechanisms," the commission said.
The commission also found that Google does not comply with the intent of the Digital Markets Act by using technology in Google Play to prevent app developers from freely guiding customers to "offers and distribution channels of their choice."
