Google may modify search results to try to avoid fines in the European Union

Google plans to test changes to how it displays search results for certain topics, nearly a year after it was accused of violating European Union antitrust rules. Reuters Reports. This shift will show competing, top-rated services for hotels, flights, restaurants and transportation higher in the results, rather than prioritizing Google’s own services like Google Flights. It will soon be rolled out “across Europe”, starting with accommodation results, followed by “flights and other services” later.

This update could address one of the fundamental problems highlighted by the European Commission when it ruled last year that Google was In violation of the Digital Markets Lawwhich aims to rein in anti-competitive practices by leading technology companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Businesses that do not comply with DMA regulations can face fines of up to 10 percent of their annual revenue.

Google initially rejected its claim to rerank search results, as Oliver Bethell, Google’s head of competition, claimed… Posted on LinkedIn Last year, early changes in search results forced European users to search longer and pay higher prices. However, Google could potentially face billions of dollars in fines if it does not make adjustments to comply with the DMA.