The investigation covers three areas: fraudulent and non-compliant listings, phishing scams that exploit the platform’s reservation and guest data, and paid listings that are not clearly identifiable as ads. The opening of proceedings means the Commission will examine the case further and does not establish an infringement.

For tourism, online platforms are a main route to booking accommodation, so the proceedings touch two issues central to the sector: traveller trust and protection from fraud, and the transparency of search ranking for accommodation providers, mostly SMEs, that pay for greater visibility.

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