By Luís Daniel Rijo in Search News — Mar 26, 2024

eDreams ODIGEO and Independent Platforms call for EU Action against Google's alleged DMA violations

Travel platform eDreams ODIGEO and other independent businesses are urging the European Commission to take decisive action against Google.

Travel platform eDreams ODIGEO and other independent businesses are urging the European Commission to take decisive action against Google. They allege Google is violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) through ongoing self-preferencing practices.

Key Allegations:

Self-Preferencing Persists: eDreams ODIGEO claims Google's response to the DMA doesn't fundamentally alter its practice of giving its own services preferential treatment in search results. This, they argue, goes against the DMA's aim of fostering competition.
Inconsistency Across EU: Google's search result displays reportedly vary across EU countries, suggesting they might not adhere to the DMA with uniformity.
Google Flights as a Separate Entity: Some search results continue to feature Google Flights as its own search engine, a potential DMA violation.

The Call for Action

Two weeks after the DMA took effect, a Brussels meeting brought together businesses to discuss Google's compliance. eDreams ODIGEO believes these reported discrepancies show Google's commitment is lacking and that strong enforcement is needed for a fair European digital market.

Guillaume Teissonnière, General Counsel at eDreams ODIGEO, stated: "Google has chosen a path of non-compliance. The changes implemented amount to a few adjustments that fail to address the core issue at hand: Google continues the long-standing self-preferencing of its services to the detriment of competing EU-based businesses, thereby undermining the competitive landscape the Digital Markets Act seeks to protect."

Context

DMA Goals: The Digital Markets Act aims to regulate gatekeeper platforms like Google, preventing them from exploiting their dominance to stifle competition.
Commissioner Vestager's Stance: EU Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, has signaled a willingness to take stronger enforcement action.

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