Overview

• Google and travel platforms clashed over search result designs during a July 7-8 Brussels workshop organized by the European Commission
• The company’s two proposals would display specialized services like Skyscanner, Kelkoo and Booking.com in a boxed section above organic listings for hotels, restaurants and airlines
• Skyscanner’s CEO Bryan Batista warned that the suggested layouts could mislead users and entrench Google’s own travel services
• Google lawyer Oliver Bethell said divergent feedback from competitors and suppliers has complicated efforts to meet EU demands for unbiased search results
• With a final compliance decision due in the coming months, EU regulators could impose temporary equal-placement measures and fines up to 10% of Google’s global revenue