Google is deliberately limiting search functionality in the European Union to avoid further regulatory penalties. In travel-related searches, the company will now highlight a specialized website at the top, followed by two others with reduced detail. A carousel featuring hotels, airlines, and restaurants will lose real-time features like current pricing.
The European Commission has accused Google of favoring its own services in search results, violating the Digital Markets Act. The company has already faced fines totaling approximately $1 billion for these practices. Rather than overhaul its search algorithm entirely, Google is degrading certain features to sidestep additional penalties.