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Google offers new search result changes to avoid looming EU antitrust fine

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Google has submitted a fresh set of proposals to the European Commission in an effort to avoid a major antitrust fine, pledging to further modify how its search results display competing services such as Google Shopping, Hotels, and Flights.

According to a document seen by Reuters, Google’s latest offer builds on a July proposal that faced pushback from vertical search services (VSS) — specialized search engines focused on areas like travel, hotels, and restaurants — as well as price comparison sites. These rivals argued Google’s previous plans still favoured its own services.

The new proposal is part of an investigation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a sweeping EU law aimed at curbing Big Tech dominance, promoting competition, and offering users more choice.

In the updated framework, Google said it will allow third-party search services to display their own dedicated boxes on search results pages, similar in format to those used for Google’s own services. Each “VSS box” will contain inventory and results directly from the third-party platform, selected through objective, non-discriminatory criteria.

Suppliers — such as hotels, airlines, or restaurants — would appear in boxes placed either above or below depending on query relevance, the company explained. Google also said it would not share competitors’ data with other parties, a key concern among rivals.

While expressing a desire to resolve the EU probe, Google warned that excessive changes could benefit intermediaries at the expense of European businesses selling directly to consumers. “We remain concerned that further changes could prioritise the commercial interests of a small set of intermediaries,” a company spokesperson said.

Google Proposes New Search Changes to Avoid EU Antitrust Fine

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Google has submitted a new proposal aimed at addressing complaints from rivals and avoiding a possible European Union antitrust fine, Reuters has learned from a confidential document. This comes ahead of a critical July 7-8 meeting in Brussels with the European Commission and competitors.

The proposal, referred to as “Option B,” offers an alternative to an earlier plan presented last week. It suggests displaying two boxes on Google’s search results page: a vertical search service (VSS) box featuring links to specialized search engines for hotels, airlines, restaurants, and transport, and below it, a separate box listing free links to individual suppliers in those categories. Google would manage the supplier information but the setup aims to avoid the VSS box being dominated by Google’s own services.

This proposal seeks to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which targets large tech companies to prevent unfair self-preferencing and foster competition. Google has already made hundreds of product changes under the DMA framework.

Despite the efforts, Google remains concerned that some DMA requirements could degrade online user experience in Europe. If found in violation of the DMA, Google could face fines up to 10% of its global annual revenue.

Google Proposes Tweaks to Search Results to Avoid EU Fine Under Digital Markets Act

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Google has offered new concessions to the European Union in an effort to avoid potentially steep antitrust penalties, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. The tech giant’s latest proposal seeks to address concerns that it has been unfairly favoring its own services—like Google Shopping, Google Hotels, and Google Flights—over those of competitors, in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The DMA, which came into force earlier this year, establishes strict requirements for dominant tech companies—or “gatekeepers”—to ensure fair competition and increased consumer choice. The European Commission formally charged Google three months ago, citing anti-competitive practices in vertical search results.

In response, Google has suggested offering a dedicated box at the top of its search results page to showcase a selected third-party vertical search service (VSS), such as platforms specializing in hotel or flight searches. This VSS would be chosen using objective, non-discriminatory criteria and would display three direct links—such as to hotels, airlines, or transport services—formatted identically to Google’s own listings.

Other competing VSS platforms would still be displayed lower in the rankings, but only in expanded view if users click to see more results. Google stated in the documents that while it does not agree with the Commission’s preliminary findings, it is willing to make changes “on a without prejudice basis” to reach a resolution.

The European Commission has called for a feedback meeting with rivals on July 8. Some competing companies told Reuters—on condition of anonymity—that the proposed changes fall short and do not ensure genuine parity with Google’s own offerings.

This is not Google’s first encounter with the EU on similar grounds. In 2017, the company was fined €2.4 billion for giving illegal advantage to its comparison shopping service. The current proceedings under the DMA could result in further significant penalties if the EU deems Google’s remedies insufficient.