Google is changing how its search works across Europe. The move is aimed at meeting EU rules after a fine. But Google says the new setup may make Search less useful for people and harder for local businesses.
Google changes search results in Europe
As reported by Indian Express, Google rolled out major changes to Search in Europe on Tuesday to meet the European Unionโs Digital Markets Act. The company says this is the biggest drop in search service quality in its 29-year history. The new format will give more space to vertical search services, or specialised search sites. These include names such as Expedia and Booking.com. They may appear above direct links to hotels, airlines and restaurants.
Google says this can push local firms lower down the page. It also removes some useful details from search. For example, real-time prices will no longer appear in some result features. The company says people outside the European Union will not see these changes.
Why Google is making the move
The move comes after Google was fined โฌ460M by the EU in July. The European Union said Google had given an advantage to its own services in areas including hotels, shopping, sports and transport. The European Commission gave the company 60 days to follow the Digital Markets Act (DMA), or it could face more penalties. The additional fines could be as high as 5% of Googleโs total global turnover. Google believes the new rules favour price comparison sites instead of direct links to businesses. The company says this may raise costs for European firms and reduce the value of its search service.
Google also says earlier changes made for the DMA caused a 30% fall in free, booking traffic for European businesses. The latest move could create more pressure. The company tested the new format with many European users. Google said many users were unhappy and often had to type their searches again before finding what they wanted. The dispute also comes as Google faces wider EU scrutiny. The company has collected โฌ10.38B in EU antitrust penalties over nearly two decades.
What this means for users and businesses
Search changes are part of a larger battle over how Google ranks its own services versus those of competitors. The key issue at hand revolves around the fairness of users’ choice versus speedy responses to their searches. Travelers may be among those affected by this change through increased exposure to comparison websites. However, some details may be less visible than before.
The EU says its rules are meant to create a more level playing field for digital companies. Google’s view of the result is different. It argues that the rules may help large online intermediaries while hurting smaller firms that depend on direct visits. For now, the changes are limited to Europe. Search users elsewhere will not be affected. The debate is far from over, and the next test will be simple, can regulators protect fair competition without making Search harder to use?
Author’s Opinion
Google and the EU are looking at the same problem from very different sides. Fair competition matters, but so does a simple search. The real test will be whether these changes help smaller firms without making everyday searches harder for European users.
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