Google is once again in the sights of the European Commission.

In a letter sent to the American company, the Commission and the national consumer protection authorities inform Google that they are not satisfied with the way the company complies with European law on transparency in its search results.

The executive right hand of the European Union indeed asks Google to explain how these results are classified on its search engine.

A query that concerns both the Google store on which products are sold, and the Google Flights and Hotels tools that allow you to book plane tickets and accommodation.

The Commission wants consumers to be able to know how Google ranks search results and therefore why certain offers are highlighted.

Is the ranking influenced by financial payments?

This is the question the Commission wishes to answer.

Google must mention when "acting as a direct seller or intermediary".

Avoid deception

The Commission also wants the prices displayed to correspond as closely as possible to the final amount that will be charged to consumers.

They must include the various taxes and miscellaneous charges that will be added to the final amount, so that consumers do not have any unpleasant surprises at the end.

“It is not acceptable for European consumers to be misled when they use search engines to plan their vacations.

We must give them the means to make their choices on the basis of transparent and impartial information, ”declared Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice.

Finally, the Mountain View firm must ensure the reliability of comments published on its search engine, so that consumers are not influenced in a deceptive manner.

Google has two months to respond to the Commission and adapt its operations to be in order.

In the event of measures deemed insufficient, the American giant could be subject to sanctions.

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