Google’s DMA deadline: eu travel tech calls for full compliance and decisive enforcement
Brussels, 28 September 2026 – Over 60 days ago, the European Commission found Google to be breaching the Digital Markets Act’s self-preferencing prohibition and ordered it to cease this infringement. As Google’s deadline to do so expired at the end of last week, eu travel tech calls for effective enforcement across travel search. Google’s latest announcements leave substantial compliance questions unresolved, including in travel advertising and how Google will avoid self-preferencing in AI Overviews and AI Mode.
The Commission’s 23 July decision imposed a €460 million fine and required Alphabet to end the identified non-compliance within 60 days from notification. It found that Google gives its own services prominence and functionalities unavailable on equivalent terms to individual competitors.
On 8 September, Google announced updated Search experiences across Europe, while falsely claiming that it would harm users and businesses – as the Decision makes clear, there is no obligation for Google to remove features from the SERP. Based on the information available, Google’s announced changes leave key questions unresolved as to how the requirements set out in the Commission’s decision will be met. Google’s new design gives rival travel websites a separate box alongside a box of hotel and airline offers organised by Google. When Google helps users compare those offers, it provides a comparison service of its own. Adding competitors to the page is not enough if Google still reserves better visibility or comparison features for its own service.
Travel ads require the same scrutiny: The decision encompasses paid results, an advertising label does not exempt Google’s comparison services from the prohibition on self-preferencing. Google must demonstrate how its measures address these formats, including hotel and experiences ads. It has so far not provided sufficient information to demonstrate how its measures address these formats, including hotel and experiences ads.
AI Overviews and AI Mode also remain a priority: The Commission has acknowledged that the principles of its non-compliance decision apply to AI-based results. eu travel tech has yet to see concrete details demonstrating how Google will end self-preferencing in these increasingly predominant parts of Search.
Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General of eu travel tech, said:
“Google is trying to turn travellers and businesses against effective DMA enforcement by claiming that compliance would result in a worse search experience. This narrative uses consumers as leverage against the enforcement of Google’s legal obligations under the DMA. The 60-day period was a compliance deadline. Its expiry cannot simply mark the beginning of another open-ended compliance process.
Instead, the Commission must now assess Google’s measures against its decision and use the full range of enforcement tools at its disposal to ensure full compliance across Google Search, including organic travel results, travel ads, AI Overviews and AI Mode.”
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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.
