Google announced changes in the search engine for users from Europe
Kyiv • UNN
Google plans to change the display of search results in Europe after complaints from competitors about reduced traffic. The company will also remove hotel maps in three countries, although some competitors consider these changes insufficient.
Google plans to make adjustments to the display of search results on its platform in Europe after complaints from competitors about reduced traffic to their sites due to changes made earlier by the Alphabet division. Meanwhile, EU regulators are investigating whether the company has violated EU Technology Regulations. About it UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
"We believe that the latter proposal is the right way to balance the complex trade - offs that the DMA provides," Bethell said.
For search results in Germany, Belgium and Estonia, Google also plans to remove the map showing the location of hotels, and the results under the map, similar to the old format "ten blue links" many years ago.
"We are very reluctant to take this step because removing useful features will not benefit either consumers or businesses in Europe," Bethell said.
The European Commission said it is currently evaluating Google's compliance proposals. Breaking the DMA can cost companies up to 10% of their annual global turnover.
British price comparison site and Google critic Kelkoo rejected the offer.
"They don't solve the problem of the obvious preferential treatment for Google'S own CSS (comparison shopping services) in search results, with competitors either limited to a much less favorable display (if they appear at all), or forced to act as Google customers rather than competitors," Kelkoo chief executive Richard Stables said.
The German hotel association said that a return to" blue links", as required by booking and comparison sites, will be less transparent and less convenient for consumers.
"Hotels, especially independent operators and small businesses, will find it difficult to return to the basic blue links. This reduces their visibility and increases their dependence on third - party platforms that require significant commissions, which undermines their profitability and sustainability," the report says.
