Google Plans EU Search Overhaul to Avoid DMA Fines, Will Display Rivals “Equally” to Google Flights/Hotels
Ddos 
In an effort to avoid multibillion-dollar fines for violating the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google is reportedly planning to revamp its search display model across the European market, allowing third-party services to appear on equal footing within search results—rather than prioritizing its own products and platforms.
The move follows allegations made by EU regulators in March 2025, accusing Google of breaching the DMA through self-preferential practices in its search engine and Google Play Store operations. Authorities claimed the company unfairly favored its own services in search rankings and restricted developers from informing users about alternative methods to obtain apps—violations that could result in fines exceeding $35 billion.
Regulators have particularly scrutinized Google for favoring its own vertical services, such as Google Flights and Google Hotels, which allegedly overshadow specialized competitors like Expedia and Hotels.com, limiting their visibility in search results.
In response, Google’s proposed compliance plan states that other search providers offering similar services will be displayed in equivalent formats, with rankings determined according to objective and non-discriminatory principles. Google’s own services will appear in the same standardized layout, while results from airlines, car rental companies, and other direct providers will not be excluded but instead positioned above or below vertical search listings based on relevance to the user’s query.
Google’s willingness to modify its search service underscores the significant influence of the EU Digital Markets Act on major technology companies, reflecting a broader regulatory push that compels firms like Google and Apple to restructure their platform operations in pursuit of fair market competition.
Apple, for instance, has already revised its App Store policies to comply with the DMA—opening access to third-party app marketplaces—and Google now appears poised to follow suit, lest it risk facing substantial financial penalties.
However, while Google’s planned overhaul may signal compliance, it remains uncertain whether these changes will truly grant greater visibility and parity to vertical search competitors or ensure genuinely fair and transparent search results. Nonetheless, the initiative suggests that Google is at least willing to adapt its services to align with regulatory expectations and mitigate the threat of severe sanctions.
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