Google has proposed additional adjustments to its search results in Europe after smaller competitors raised concerns about reduced traffic to their websites following previous changes. This comes as European Union regulators are considering potential charges against Google under new digital regulations.
As part of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was implemented last year, Google is prohibited from prioritizing its own products and services in search results. The Act aims to limit the dominance of major tech companies, like Google.
In response to requests from competitors and regulators, Google has suggested further changes to how its search results work across Europe. The company said these changes are necessary to comply with the new EU rules, which require the company to redesign certain features and remove others to avoid promoting its own services over those of competitors.
To address the issue, Google has made updates to Google Search, ensuring that comparison websites for flights, hotels, and shopping get more visibility. While these updates have helped large online travel platforms and comparison sites, some smaller airlines, hotel chains, and retailers have reported a decrease in traffic, with some experiencing a 30% drop in direct bookings.
To address these concerns, Google is proposing additional changes that would allow users to choose between results that lead to comparison sites and those that direct them to supplier websites. These changes would apply to searches for products, restaurants, flights, and hotels.
Google also plans to introduce new formats, allowing both comparison sites and suppliers to display more detailed information, including prices and images, along with new advertising options for comparison sites.
Oliver Bethell, Google's legal director, said, "We think the latest proposal is the right way to balance the difficult trade-offs that the DMA involves."
Additionally, in countries like Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, Google plans to test the removal of a mapping feature that shows hotels and related results. This is part of an experiment to understand the impact of the change on both user experience and website traffic.
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