Google said on Tuesday (September 8) that it has deployed extensive modifications to its European search engine results to comply with European Union (EU) antitrust rules, sounding an alarm that closely mirrors warnings issued by Apple a year ago. Google cautioned that these legally mandated adjustments will reduce the search quality for everyday consumers while driving up operational expenses for local European enterprises. According to a Google representative speaking to news agency Reuters, the regulatory overhaul triggers the most severe downgrade in search performance across the platform’s 29-year operating history (launched in 1997).The overhaul arrives after the European Commission slapped Google with a €460 million ($534 million) penalty in July for self-preferencing its proprietary shopping, travel and sports features. Brussels granted the search leader a 60-day window to adhere to DMA standards or face recurring fines reaching up to 5% of its entire global annual revenue.
What is changing
While European regulators presented the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as an effort to level commercial advertising opportunities, Google argued that the reality tilts advantages toward third-party vertical search services (VSS) and aggregator platforms like Booking.com and Expedia. Under the revised design, online intermediaries receive elevated visibility compared to direct airline, hotel and dining operators whose listings merely feature phone numbers, addresses and website links.Search layouts in Europe will now spotlight one dedicated aggregator at the top of query results, flanked by two secondary services with reduced information. Carousels displaying regional hotels, transport options and dining venues will appear lower on the page, stripped of essential features like dynamic, real-time pricing. Placements will continue to be governed by Google’s core algorithm.Nick Fox, Google’s senior vice president of knowledge and information, addressed the forced rollout directly in remarks to Reuters:“To comply with DMA requirements, we’re making significant changes to Search in Europe. These changes degrade the user experience for Europeans – boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses, and removing helpful features people rely on every day. Users outside the EU will not be impacted by these changes.”Google highlights consumer dissatisfaction and local commerce impactGoogle highlighted that earlier modifications enacted under the DMA caused a 30% drop in organic, zero-cost booking traffic flowing directly to European commercial storefronts, warning that the latest tweaks will exacerbate those losses. Citing Google, the report says that internal trials conducted across millions of European users revealed widespread frustration, with people frequently forced to repeat and refine queries to find basic information.
What is Apple’s regulatory stand
Google’s friction with Brussels mirrors the warnings Apple leveled in 2025 over the consequences of the DMA. While both the cases are different but the core message sent across by both the companies remains the same.Apple noted that European antitrust mandates directly disrupted its consumer ecosystem, altering how customers purchase software, process payments and connect Apple devices. The iPhone maker warned that EU legislation creates a growing list of delayed feature rollouts, leaving European consumers trailing global feature releases.“We built the App Store to be a central, trusted place for our users where every app is reviewed, every developer follows the same rules, and parents have tools to protect their children. We’re still fighting to protect that quality experience our users expect, but the DMA has forced changes to that model,” the company said.Apple cautioned that altering its App Store model introduces unnecessary complexity, diminishes intuitive operation and exposes users to unsafe applications.