Airlines, hotels, retailers fear being left out in Google’s search changes

Lobbying organizations representing various sectors, such as airlines, hotels, and retailers, have urged European Union regulators in the technology sector to ensure that Google considers their perspectives, along with those of major intermediaries, when implementing changes to comply with significant tech regulations.

Among these groups are Airlines for Europe, which includes members like Air France KLM and British Airways’ parent company, IAG, as well as the hotel group Hotrec, European Hotel Forum, EuroCommerce, Ecommerce Europe, and Independent Retail Europe. In March, these organizations expressed their concerns about the potential impacts of the new regulations.

The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) places certain obligations on Google and other tech giants, with the aim of providing users with more options and giving competitors a fairer chance to compete. However, these lobbying groups have voiced apprehensions that the proposed adjustments could negatively affect their revenues.

In a joint communication addressed to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager and EU industry chief Thierry Breton, dated May 22, they highlighted that their concerns have only intensified over time.

Our industries are deeply concerned that the current proposed solutions and implementation requirements of the DMA could exacerbate discriminatory practices,” they stated. “Our initial observations suggest that these changes may significantly impact the direct revenue streams of companies, as they could lead to greater visibility for powerful online intermediaries, resulting in preferential treatment.

The European Commission, currently conducting an investigation into potential DMA violations by Google, has yet to respond to requests for comment. Google, which previously stated in a blog post in March that modifications to search results would allocate more traffic to major intermediaries and aggregators, leaving less for hotels, airlines, merchants, and restaurants, refrained from immediate comment.

We are apprehensive that the investigation into non-compliance focuses solely on the need for fair and non-discriminatory treatment of third-party services, without acknowledging European businesses that also provide their services through Google,” the groups expressed.