The European Commission opened formal proceedings on October 21, 2026, to assess whether Booking.com breached the Digital Services Act. The regulatory inquiry focuses on the platform's handling of fraudulent listings, phishing scams, and commercial transparency.
Scope of the investigation
According to the European Commission, the formal proceedings will evaluate whether Booking.com failed to diligently assess or effectively mitigate risks tied to fraudulent listings and phishing scams.
Regulators stated that the investigation will specifically center on fraudulent and non-compliant listings hosted on the service, alongside phishing campaigns that exploit reservation and guest data.
Advertising transparency concerns
The Commission said Booking.com may also have breached the Digital Services Act regarding transparency requirements.
The platform allegedly failed to clearly label search listings as advertisements when providers paid for higher placement in user search results.
Key facts and where they come from
- The European Commission initiated formal proceedings against Booking.com under the Digital Services Act.
Today, the European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether Booking.com may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA)
- Regulators are examining whether Booking.com failed to assess or mitigate risks from scams and fraudulent entries.
by not having diligently assessed or effectively mitigated risks related to fraudulent listings and phishing scams.
- Booking.com is suspected of failing to clearly label paid search placements as advertisements.
because it did not clearly label as ads those listings whose providers paid for a higher ranking in search results shown to users.
- The investigation specifically covers phishing schemes that target reservation and guest details.
Phishing scams exploiting Booking.com's reservation and guest data
