Google is restoring its hotel search format from years ago in line with EU law

Eight months after the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force, Google is removing a number of listings from hotel search results as part of an experiment in parts of Europe.

So far, when searching for a hotel, the first three paid results from specialized search and comparison engines, such as Booking.com or Check24, are displayed.

Below is an interactive map with hotel entries, where you can briefly see the prices for accommodation, the so-called free booking links. Below the map there are further entries of hotels that are not sponsored.

During tests in Germany, Belgium and Estonia, the map and free booking links are to disappear. Google, at least for now, is meeting the demands of its competitors, which want to prevent travelers from booking hotels directly through Google search results.

As a result of the test, we will remove the map showing hotel locations and the hotel search results displayed underneath it, Oliver Bethell, head of Google’s legal department, wrote in a statement. blog post on Tuesday.

“Instead, we will list individual website links with no additional functionality — similar to our old ‘ten blue links’ format from years ago,” Bethell said.

“We believe this latest proposal is the right way to balance the difficult trade-offs that DMA entails,” Bethell wrote. “We are very reluctant to take this step because removing useful features does not benefit consumers or businesses in Europe.”

Once the test is complete, the results will be displayed normally again. Google hasn’t specified exactly how long the test will last.

Under DMA rules, large online platforms cannot favor their own offers.

The Google search engine is one of the services recognized by the European Commission as the so-called “gatekeeper” within the DMA. They have rules in place that are designed to allow for greater competition.

Over the years, Google has often tried to provide specific answers directly to users’ queries, in addition to selected information.

This has often sparked criticism, including: from specialized search engines, which accused the industry giant of unfair competition. Google now wants to use this test to clearly demonstrate that neither consumers nor the hospitality industry will benefit if competition demands are met.