The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into whether Booking.com complies with the Digital Services Act (DSA). It will assess the platform’s efforts to combat fraudulent listings, including listings for non-existent properties, and prevent phishing scams that exploit user data.
The investigation will also examine whether Booking.com clearly identifies paid placements as advertisements. These include listings boosted in search results in exchange for higher commissions.
Under the DSA, significant violations can lead to fines of up to 6% of a company’s global annual turnover.