Trivago Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google, Alleges Ongoing Harm

Key Points

• Trivago has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in Germany, accusing it of favoring its own hotel metasearch service in search results.
• Trivago claims Google's practices have harmed its business and growth, with referral revenue from Google down 34% over three years.
• The European Commission and the DMA are scrutinizing Google’s behavior, and many travel companies have raised similar complaints.

Summary

Trivago has initiated an antitrust lawsuit against Google in a German court, alleging that Google has systematically favored its own hotel metasearch service in its search results since 2014, harming Trivago’s competitive position and growth. Despite the EU’s Digital Markets Act aimed at increasing fairness, Trivago’s CEO claims Google has not complied, and the company has experienced a significant decline in referral revenue from Google. The European Commission has previously fined Google for similar practices and continues to investigate its compliance, as many travel industry players express ongoing concerns about Google’s dominance.