EU investigates Booking.com over fake listings
The European Commission says Booking.com may not be doing enough to tackle scams such as fake listings and phishing. It is investigating the site under the Digital Services Act and says 66% of online hotel bookings in Europe are made through it.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into Booking.com over concerns that the platform does not do enough to combat online fraud and scams, a Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The probe concerns possible breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Among other things, it looks at fake listings, including accommodation that does not exist but was offered on the site, and at phishing attacks.
Investigators will examine whether Booking.com has taken measures to limit the risks of such fake listings. That includes actions such as removing accommodation that does not meet the site's rules.
According to the Commission, 66% of all online hotel bookings in Europe are made through Booking.com. "At the same time, Booking reports a fivehundredfold increase in scam practices between 2022 and 2024," the spokesperson said.
"We will now carry out an in-depth investigation and call on the company to cooperate throughout the process," the spokesperson said. Booking.com says it is cooperating fully and responding constructively to the Commission's questions under the DSA, and that safety, trust and the protection of personal data are its highest priority.
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DSA (Digitaledienstenverordening)
The Digital Services Act is an EU regulation that sets rules for online intermediary services, such as marketplaces, booking platforms, search engines and social media. It requires platforms to act against illegal content and illegal products, to identify traders who sell on them, and to be transparent about how their systems work. The largest platforms are supervised directly by the European Commission, while in the Netherlands the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) oversees other online services.