“Google adjusted its European search results to avoid fines from the EU, claiming that search quality had significantly declined”

To comply with the requirements of the EU’s Digital Market Act and fulfill the previous penalty for prioritizing the display of its own services in travel and shopping searches, Google announced in September 2026 that it would adjust search results in Europe. The European Commission had previously imposed a fine of 460 million euros on Google for such behavior and set a 60-day period for corrective actions. After the adjustment, when non-Europeans search for hotels, vertical search services such as Expedia and Booking.com will be highlighted at the top of the page. Their ranking and visibility will be higher than those of local businesses that only provide basic information, and key features such as real-time prices will be removed. Nick Fox, senior vice president of Google, said that user tests showed that search results were generally unsatisfactory, and users had to re-enter keywords to obtain information. Despite complying with regulations, Google claimed that this move significantly reduced the quality of searches, harmed the European user experience, and enhanced its position as an online intermediary.