• Google’s DMA compliance efforts include removing hotel features from Search in select European countries.
• 20+ modifications to Search, with comparison sites demanding further changes.

Google’s DMA compliance journey continues to evolve as the tech giant announces new changes to its search results in Europe. This move marks another step in its efforts to align with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). In a recent blog post, Google’s Director of Legal, Oliver Bethell, outlined the company’s latest efforts to address concerns from stakeholders in the market.

The most significant development is a new test that will remove certain hotel features from Google Search for users in Germany, Belgium, and Estonia. The change will eliminate the interactive map showing hotel locations and related results, replacing it with a simplified list of website links–reminiscent of Google’s original “ten blue links” format.

The move comes after Google implemented more than 20 modifications to its search service in Europe, including new formats to increase the visibility of comparison sites for categories like flights, hotels, and shopping. However, the changes have had mixed results, with some businesses reporting significant impact on their traffic.

“Direct booking clicks are down as much as 30% since we implemented our original changes,” Bethell revealed in the blog post, highlighting the challenges airlines, hotel operators, and small retailers face in reaching customers directly.

To balance competing interests, Google has proposed several new features:

• Expanded units with equal formatting for both comparison sites and direct supplier websites,
• New formats allow both comparison sites and suppliers to display enhanced information, including prices and images,
• Dedicated ad units designed explicitly for comparison sites.

Over the past three years, the company’s response to the DMA has involved more than 100 conferences and roundtables with the European Commission and industry stakeholders. Despite these efforts, some comparison sites continue to push for more dramatic changes, including what Google describes as “a complete ban on anything more sophisticated than a simple blue link to a website.”

The approach by Google reveals the tension between compliance with the DMA and similar laws with innovation. While acknowledging the need for significant changes to its European services, the company maintains that “the end goal is not to prevent search engines from innovating and competing.”

“We’re very reluctant to take this step, as removing helpful features does not benefit consumers or businesses in Europe,” Bethell stated.

The impact of the most recent changes will be monitored, particularly during the test period in the three selected countries. The results could shape future modifications to Google’s search interface in the EU and, potentially, influence similar regulatory discussions in other regions.

The broader implications of Google’s DMA compliance efforts extend beyond the company. The case is a precedent for how major technology platforms adapt to increasing regulatory scrutiny.

Industry experts suggest that this latest round of changes could mark a turning point in the relationship between big tech companies and European regulators.

Google says it is trying to find a solution that “complies with the law and continues to provide European users and businesses with access to helpful technology.”