The DMA Delivers: eu travel tech Welcomes Non-Compliance Decision Against Alphabet
Brussels, 23 July 2026 – eu travel tech welcomes the European Commission’s landmark decision finding Alphabet in non-compliance with Article 6(5) of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and imposing a fine of €460 million. The Commission found that “Google gives preferential treatment to its own services, including shopping, hotels, transport and sports results, over those of third parties in Google Search”. This fine reflects the gravity of the harm, its duration – including the fact that Google has continued to blatantly self-preference its own services in its search generative AI features – and that the conduct affected several different verticals. This is a milestone for the EU’s role in ensuring fair and open digital markets and sends a strong signal that self-preferencing in online search will not go unchecked.
The Commission’s decision confirms what eu travel tech and countless other organizations have consistently maintained: Google afforded its own travel services a systematically more attractive, interactive, and prominent presentation than those of any third-party competitor. Google thus restricted competition from specialised services, limiting consumer choice, and disadvantaging travel service providers who depend on a competitive intermediary landscape. This self-preferencing extends to results in AI Overviews and AI Mode, where it continues to this day and which is particularly damaging given the increasing centrality of these features to Google Search. The resulting harm is not isolated but built up over a prolonged period and across multiple travel verticals.
The non-compliance decision comes after a protracted process throughout which Alphabet offered proposals that failed to bring it into full compliance, repeatedly made incorrect claims about the impact of compliance requirements and sought to generate backlash against the DMA itself. Adding to this pattern, Google introduced AI Overviews only days after the publication of the Commission’s preliminary findings. AI Overviews and AI Mode clearly fall within the scope of Article 6(5) DMA, with Google recognising that both are “deeply embedded within the Search infrastructure and are directly powered by Search technologies.” These features cannot be used as a new vehicle for self-preferencing without consequences. Today’s decision brings a necessary and overdue conclusion which clearly points out Google’s wrongdoing and path to compliance.
What must happen now
A non-compliance finding is only as meaningful as the compliance it delivers. Alphabet must now come forward without further delay with concrete remedies that genuinely end the self-preferencing of its travel services, in both paid and organic displays as well as in search generative AI features (AI overviews and AI mode). The Commission has taken note of Google’s latest compliance proposal, but we are concerned that despite showing some progress, these proposals continue to fall substantially short of compliance. Notably, Google has still not come forward with concrete solutions for its search generative AI features. Should Alphabet fail to come forward with proposals ensuring genuine compliance, we urge the Commission not to hesitate in deploying all enforcement tools at its disposal, including periodic penalty payments under Article 31 DMA. Painful lessons have been learned in the many years since the Commission’s decision in the Google Shopping self-preferencing antitrust case. With this experience in mind, one thing is clear: non-compliance with the DMA must not be a viable business strategy for Alphabet.
“We commend the Commission for seeing this investigation through to its conclusion, particularly under considerable external pressure. This decision sends a clear message: the era of unchecked self-preferencing in European online search is coming to an end. But a decision without compliance is merely a statement of principle, of which we have seen far too many. We expect Alphabet to act swiftly and in good faith to level the playing field in travel search. eu travel tech stands ready to support the Commission in ensuring this decision translates into real change,” said Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General at eu travel tech.
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For more information, please contact:
▪ Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General (emounier@eutraveltech.eu)
▪ Marc Oomen, Senior Legal & Policy Manager (moomen@eutraveltech.eu)
About eu travel tech
eu travel tech represents the interests of travel technology companies. eu travel tech uses its position at the centre of the travel and tourism sector to promote a consumer-driven, innovative, and competitive industry that is transparent and sustainable. Our membership spans Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), Travel Management Companies in business travel (TMCs) and metasearch sites.
eu travel tech’s members include Airbnb, Amadeus, American Express GBT, Awaze, Booking.com, Dohop, eDreams ODIGEO, Etraveli Group, Expedia Group, GetYourGuide, Headout, Idealo, lastminute.com, Omio, Sabre, Silverrail, Skyscanner, Trainline, Travelport, Tripadvisor and Vola.
