EU launches investigation into “Booking” over fraudulent listings and hidden advertising

The European Commission has launched an investigation into “Booking.com” for possible violations of the EUʼs Digital Services Act (DSA).

This is stated in the European Commissionʼs statement.

The European Commission will investigate whether “Booking.com” properly assesses and combats fraud risks, including fake rental ads and phishing attacks aimed at stealing usersʼ personal and payment details.

The regulator will also check whether the platform is sufficiently transparent in marking ads that homeowners pay to promote. Currently, it may not always be clear to users that such offers have received higher positions in search results due to paid promotion.

If the European Commission proves a breach of DSA, the company could face a fine of up to 6% of its total annual global turnover. However, the opening of an investigation does not mean that “Booking.com” has been found guilty. The company said it is cooperating with the regulator and continues to fight cybercrime.

• In April 2023, the European Commission classified “Booking.com” as a very large online platform. This status entails enhanced requirements for systemic risk assessment, user protection, and advertising transparency.
• The European Commission has previously sent requests to the platform regarding compliance with DSA requirements — in January 2024 and September 2025. The current investigation was launched after a preliminary review and analysis of the companyʼs risk assessment reports for 2023-2026.

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