Summary
Alphabet’s Google plans to trial changes to its search-result layouts in Europe that would give competing vertical search engines more prominent placement by default, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The initial tests will concentrate on lodging searches and are expected to expand to flights and other categories. The initiative is presented as an attempt to head off a potential fine under the EU’s Digital Markets Act related to alleged preferential treatment of Google’s own services.
Details of the planned test
The source said the revisions Google plans to test will display results from both vertical search services (VSS) and Google’s own listings, with top-ranked VSS shown by default. For sectors such as hotels, airlines, restaurants and transport services that provide real-time data through feeds, those supplier results will appear either immediately below or above the VSS listings, according to the source. No additional technical specifications or timings were provided.
The testing programme is expected to roll out across Europe soon, beginning with searches for lodgings and later incorporating flights and other services. The company has proposed multiple remedies since it was charged last March with breaching the Digital Markets Act, but has not implemented the proposals to date after rivals said the measures fell short.
Regulatory backdrop
The changes are being pursued as Google seeks to address enforcement action from the European Commission, which is responsible for competition oversight in the EU. Under the Digital Markets Act, breaches can carry fines of up to 10% of a company’s global annual revenue. Separately, Google has accumulated 9.71 billion euros in penalties in Europe since 2017 for various antitrust infringements, the source noted.
Broader tensions
The EU’s scrutiny of large technology platforms for disadvantaging rivals has contributed to strained relations with the United States, with the situation prompting reported tariff threats and a visa ban against a former European Commission official who led major digital services legislation. The reported exchange rate in the original account was $1 = 0.8477 euros.
Context and limitations
The person providing the information declined to supply further specifics about the mechanics of the proposed display changes or precise rollout dates. The European Commission also declined to comment. Rival companies had previously rejected earlier proposals from Google as insufficient, and Google has not put any of the proposed changes into effect as of the time of the report.
This account is based on the information made available by the source and official statements referenced in the reporting; it does not introduce new technical or legal assertions beyond those details.