Google has tabled fresh changes to the way it presents search results, in a bid to ease mounting regulatory pressure from the European Union and stave off a potential multibillion-euro fine. The move comes just days ahead of a key workshop in Brussels, where the company will defend its practices under the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The US-based tech giant, owned by Alphabet, has faced growing scrutiny over allegations that it favours its own specialised services, such as Google Shopping, Hotels and Flights, over rival platforms in its search rankings. In March, the European Commission formally charged the company with violating the DMA, a landmark set of rules designed to rein in the dominance of Big Tech firms and foster fairer competition.
According to a document reviewed by Reuters, Google will present its updated proposal, referred to as “Option B,” at a stakeholder meeting scheduled for 7–8 July. This follows an earlier offer made last week, which suggested placing a dedicated box at the top of the search page featuring links to vertical search services (VSS) such as comparison websites and sector-specific search engines.
Option B builds on this by introducing an additional box beneath the VSS display, containing free links to direct suppliers such as hotels, airlines, restaurants, and transport providers. Notably, Google would curate and organise this supplier information without branding the section as its own vertical search service.
“Option B provides suppliers with opportunities while not creating a box that can be characterised as a Google VSS,” the document notes.
The company has stressed that it has already implemented numerous changes to its products to align with DMA requirements. “We’ve made hundreds of alterations to our products as part of our DMA compliance,” a Google spokesperson said. “While we strive for compliance, we remain genuinely concerned about some of the real-world consequences of the DMA, which are leading to worse online products and experiences for Europeans.”
If Google is found to be in breach of the Digital Markets Act, it could face penalties of up to 10 per cent of its global annual revenue.
(With inputs from Reuters)
