Google has proposed additional changes to its search results in Europe following complaints from smaller competitors about decreased traffic to their sites due to previous modifications made by the Alphabet unit. This comes as EU antitrust regulators are considering imposing penalties on the company under the new EU tech regulations. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google is prohibited from favoring its own products and services on its platform.
The Act was implemented last year and aims to curb the influence of Big Tech. Since the Act came into effect, Google has sought to address the conflicting demands of price-comparison sites, hotels, airlines, and small retailers. The latter three groups reported a 30% decline in direct booking clicks as a result of recent changes made by Google.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Google’s legal director, Oliver Bethell, stated, “We have therefore proposed more changes to our European search results to accommodate these requests while still meeting the goals set by the DMA.” The proposed changes include introducing expanded, equally formatted sections that allow users to choose between comparison sites and supplier websites. Additionally, new formats will enable rivals to display prices and images on their sites, along with new ad units for comparison sites.
Bethell commented, “We believe the latest proposal strikes the right balance in addressing the challenging trade-offs mandated by the DMA.”
For its search results in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia, Google also plans to temporarily remove the map displaying hotel locations and the results underneath it, reverting to a format similar to the older “ten blue links” style. This change will serve as a short test to gauge user interest.
“We are very reluctant to take this step, as removing helpful features does not benefit consumers or businesses in Europe,” Bethell added.
Since March, Google has been under scrutiny from the European Commission. Violations of the DMA could result in fines of up to 10% of a company’s annual global revenue.