The European Commission has flagged Booking.com as a gatekeeper, subjecting the accommodation booking website to stricter regulations in the EU.
Booking.com will now have six months to submit a detailed compliance report to prove that it is following the guidelines laid out by the Commission.
This includes allowing other companies to inter-operate with Booking.com’s platform, allowing users to access the data generated from using the platform, providing companies with advertising, and avoiding treating products offered by Booking.com more favourably than others.
The EC defines a gatekeeper as a large digital platform that provides a core platform service across multiple EU countries and has a significant impact on the market. The EC aims to reduce the monopolisation of online travel agencies and hotel and accommodation bookings by holding gatekeepers accountable for uncompetitive practices.
The list of digital gatekeepers was compiled as a part of the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to regulate the market dominance of large companies. The goal is to allow for fair competition and make it easier for consumers to switch between services.
Booking.com said in July 2023 that it did not expect to meet the EC’s thresholds to be considered a digital gatekeeper in the first draft of the list. These thresholds are more than 45 million monthly active users and over €75 billion (R1,5 trillion) in market capitalisation.
