Google (GOOGL, Financial) has proposed changes to its search results to align with the European Union's technology regulations. This move has received support from a European airline lobbying group, which includes members like Air France, KLM, and Lufthansa. Recently, Google announced a series of changes to its search result formats to address conflicting demands from price comparison sites, hotels, airlines, and small retailers. The latest adjustment was announced last month.
Google is striving to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which prohibits it from favoring its own products and services on its platform. Non-compliance could result in fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue. The airline group supports a horizontal layout in search results, offering equal-sized boxes for airlines and comparison sites, differentiated by a blue color. However, they have concerns about the indicative dates suggested by Google, which they argue could diminish the consumer experience.
