After facing record $4.7 billion fine, Google may have a ‘price comparison box' plan to avoid further EU penalties
is reportedly planning a new "price comparison" display for its search results in Europe. With this rumoured system, the tech giant is aiming to avoid further European Union (EU) penalties after facing a $4.7 billion antitrust fine that the company has been fighting for years now. The plan involves highlighting search results from other companies' shopping and travel platforms at the top of its page to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act. According to a report by Bloomberg, people familiar with the proposal have claimed that a box at the top of Google's search results will display ranked options from price-comparison websites in the EU.
Users would then have the choice to proceed to competitors' sites, such as
Expedia or Booking
, or click on individual results to go directly to a hotel or airline's page. The site Google deems most relevant will be featured, with a drop-down menu containing links to other options, including Google's comparison services. In an alternative approach, Google may even show a basic list of direct links to travel or shopping suppliers in a space below this box.
EU's Google Flights warning may have led to this approach
In March, the European Commission warned Google that it risked penalties under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for allegedly favouring its services like
Google Flights
in search results. This follows a court loss last year, where the company was fined €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) for using its market position to suppress competing shopping platforms.
Previously, Reuters reported that Google was planning adjustments to its search results. The DMA, which came into effect in 2023, aims to prevent large tech firms from abusing market power. It prohibits self-preferencing and restricts the merging of user data across services. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to 10% of global revenue, or 20% for repeat offences.
Google has already made some concessions, including showing more links to comparison websites for EU users. The company's latest proposed changes would prioritise rival price-comparison services above its own, the report claims.
Currently, when EU users search for flights, Google displays its module with direct airline links before other comparison platforms or third-party results, the report notes.
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