Google Made Search Worse in Europe, and Said So Out Loud
Google rolled out its DMA (Digital Markets Act) remedy across European search on Tuesday, claiming it’s the biggest quality drop in its 29-year history. This comes after the company was fined €460 million by the European Commission for self-preferencing in various services like shopping, hotels, transport, and sports results.
The Changes:
On September 8, 2026, Google altered how search works in Europe, prioritizing specialized search engines at the top of the page, followed by two other search results with fewer details. A carousel of hotels, airlines, and restaurants now includes less information, such as real-time prices, which are stripped out.
The Commission’s Order:
The European Commission ordered Google to fix its self-preferencing issue within 60 days, facing potential periodic penalties of up to 5% of worldwide turnover if the deadline is missed.
Google’s Perspective:
Nick Fox, Google’s senior vice-president for knowledge and information, stated that these changes "degrade the user experience" by boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses. He also claimed that users outside the EU will not be affected.
The Winners and Losers:
Google argues that the Commission’s remedy levels the playing field for advertisers, benefiting price comparison sites or vertical search services like Expedia and Booking.com. However, critics argue that this could harm small businesses by pushing them down in search results.
Controversial Numbers:
Three key claims from Google include:
- A 30% reduction in free direct booking traffic to European businesses due to earlier DMA changes.
- High user dissatisfaction with the new layout, based on testing with millions of European users.
- The claim that this is the biggest quality drop in its 29-year history, made by an unnamed official.
While these figures are not publicly verified, they highlight the significant changes Google has implemented and the debates surrounding their impact.