Google updates search in Europe to meet EU requirements
In Brussels, Belgium, Google announced the launch of an updated search-results format in Europe to comply with the requirements of European Union antitrust regulators. The company said the changes would worsen the user experience and increase costs for European businesses, The Japan Times reports.
Google described the update as the biggest reduction in service quality in the search engine's 29-year history. The company noted that the EU presents these changes as a way to create more level conditions for companies featured in search results.
New results format
One specialized search engine will be displayed at the top of the page, followed by two more with fewer details. They will be followed by a carousel featuring hotels, airlines, or restaurants. Certain functions, including the display of current prices, will be removed from such blocks.
Google believes the changes will give greater visibility to price-comparison websites and specialized search services, including Expedia and Booking.com. At the same time, companies in the hotel, airline, and restaurant sectors that are represented only by a website link, phone number, and address will receive less visibility. The ranking of results will continue to be determined by Google's algorithm.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Fines and European Commission requirements
In July, Google was fined €460 million for favoring its own services in search results for products, hotels, transport, and sports. The EU found this to be a violation of the Digital Markets Act. The European Commission gave the company 60 days to comply with the requirements; otherwise, it may be ordered to make periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of its total worldwide turnover.
Nick Fox, Google's senior vice president for knowledge and information, said the changes remove useful features and benefit online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses. According to the company, previous changes made to comply with the Digital Markets Act resulted in a 30% drop in free direct booking traffic to European businesses. Google also said it tested the update on millions of users in Europe and recorded a high level of dissatisfaction among them.
Separately, in July, the EU imposed a €430 million fine on Google over restrictions on app developers that prevented them from freely directing users to cheaper offers in third-party app stores or on websites. The total amount of EU antitrust fines imposed on Google over nearly two decades stands at €10.38 billion.
