These changes are still rolling out in the EU. Google has not provided an exact timeline to get it done, but the company was given 60 days to comply. That puts the deadline on September 23, after which Google can be fined up to 5 percent of its global revenue under the DMA. These search results will not change in other regions.
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The way Google displays travel results has been a bone of contention in Europe for several years. In 2024, Google said that EU-mandated changes led to a 30 percent drop in free direct booking traffic to businesses. That was before the DMA came into force. With the European Commission now requiring more search changes, Google suggests there will be additional traffic reductions.
The search giant also claims it is only giving people what they want. Google says it has conducted tests on these changes, and users didn’t like the results as much. That’s not necessarily surprising, though. People searching for travel info might like having prices and interactive maps included on the booking page, and they may not care if that’s anticompetitive—they’re just looking for a cheap holiday.
Interestingly, Google’s cited evidence of user dissatisfaction is that people have to retype their search queries more often with the Euro-safe travel results. But doesn’t Google like higher search volume? Often, when Google talks about its shift to AI in search, it points out that AI has led to people performing more searches, and that’s framed as a good thing. However, people can also run more searches because they aren’t finding what they want. In this case, though, Google may not be able to monetize those “extra” searches as effectively, so it’s a bad thing.
Google and other companies designated as “gatekeepers” under the DMA continue to oppose the law as the EU steps up enforcement. Meanwhile, the US government has threatened the bloc with economic sanctions if it continues to fine US tech giants.