European Commission opens investigation into Booking.com over fraud and paid advertising

Brussels, October 21 (KUNA) -- The European Commission announced on Wednesday the opening of a formal investigation to determine whether the hotel and accommodation booking platform Booking.com complies with the rules of the European Digital Services Act, amid concerns over fake advertisements, phishing scams, and the lack of clarity regarding paid ads. In a statement, the Commission said the probe would focus on the platform’s compliance with obligations to identify risks associated with fake ads and illegal accommodation listings, and to take appropriate measures to mitigate these risks, including the removal of fraudulent listings. It added that the investigation would also examine how the platform handles phishing attacks targeting users by exploiting booking and guest data, as well as the adequacy of safeguards it has put in place to prevent misuse of such data and fraudulent payment requests. The Commission noted that it would also assess Booking’s compliance with advertising transparency rules, particularly concerning listings that receive higher rankings in search results in exchange for additional commissions, which must be clearly identified as paid advertisements. (End) A.R.N. / A.M.H.