Google Says EU-Mandated Changes to Travel Search Results Are Worse for Users

Google has begun rolling out new travel search results in the European Union to comply with regulatory requirements, according to a report by Ars Technica. The company said the changes it was required to make have resulted in a worse experience for users searching for flights and other travel information.

The report notes that the European Union has continued to scrutinize Google's search practices, which regulators view as potentially anticompetitive. The dispute over travel search results is part of a broader pattern of EU enforcement actions targeting how Google displays search results, particularly in areas where the company's own services compete with rival providers.

According to the report, Google has complied with the EU's rules but has publicly criticized the outcome, arguing that the new format for travel search results is inferior to what it previously offered. The company has not been quoted in detail beyond characterizing the results as diminished, per the report.

The EU has previously taken action against Google over its search practices in other sectors, including shopping search, as part of efforts to curb what regulators describe as anticompetitive behavior by dominant technology platforms. Such enforcement has often proceeded under EU competition law and, more recently, the Digital Markets Act, which imposes specific obligations on large technology companies designated as "gatekeepers."

Ars Technica's report did not provide further detail on the specific technical or design changes made to Google's travel search results, nor did it include additional comment from the European Commission or Google beyond the characterization described.