Google rolled out major changes to its search engine in Europe on September 8, giving greater visibility to third-party vertical search services such as shopping, travel, and price comparison tools. This modification follows a 460 million euro fine imposed by the European Commission on July 23 for self-preferencing its own vertical services. The compliance deadline is set for September 21, with potential penalties reaching 5% of Google’s global turnover, equivalent to approximately 15 billion dollars per year if applied daily. Google warns that these changes could reduce free direct bookings for businesses by 30% and benefit large intermediaries rather than the small businesses the European regulation claims to protect.
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