By Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General, Global Travel Tech.
Somewhere in the depths of a London café, a small travel tech entrepreneur refreshes her browser again, searching for her company’s page. It’s a ritual she’s repeated many times, and every time, the result is the same: her business is invisible on Google’s search engine results page (SERP), overshadowed by ads, sponsored links, and Google’s own vertical services. Despite her innovative product and competitive pricing, her market visibility is throttled—not because her competitors have outperformed her, but because Google dominates the SERP, leaving little to no space for organic results.
This isn’t just her story. It’s the story of countless businesses worldwide struggling to compete in an environment where one dominant player sets the rules. At this moment, the fight for fairness has reached a critical tipping point.
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
The battle against Google’s dominance is intensifying. In Europe, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been introduced to ensure fairer practices in the digital ecosystem. The DMA aims to prevent dominant players like Google from abusing their gatekeeping role. This includes addressing their self-preferencing practices—where they favor their own vertical services over others on their platforms.
Across the channel, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is also investigating Google’s search practices, while in the United States, legal challenges are shedding light on Google’s entrenched strategies to maintain its dominance. These cases reveal that Google’s grip on the market is not a result of technological advancement but a calculated refusal to comply with rules. This behavior has made it clear that non-compliance must carry a higher cost—a goal the DMA seeks to achieve through stringent enforcement mechanisms.
The Problem with Google’s Ecosystem
Over time, organic results—those not influenced by paid ads or self-serving modules—have been pushed further down, making it increasingly difficult for users to find non-Google services. Instead of being an impartial guide to the internet, Google has transformed its search engine into a closed ecosystem designed to keep users within its services, thereby maximizing ad revenue and maintaining its market dominance.
This practice harms not only competitors but also consumers, who are left with fewer choices and less transparency. Google’s refusal to address this issue voluntarily has brought regulators to the forefront, armed with the DMA and similar legislation aimed at restoring balance.
A History of Inaction
Google’s dominance in the search market—accounting for over 90% of global searches—has been a growing concern for years. From its Shopping service to its travel platforms, Google has consistently leveraged its gatekeeper role to prioritize its own services. While fines and legal battles have occasionally made headlines, they have done little to change Google’s behavior. The company has long been willing to absorb these costs, knowing that its market dominance remains intact.
What’s needed now is not just regulation but enforcement. The DMA, with its emphasis on penalties for non-compliance, represents a new chapter in this ongoing battle. But for the DMA to succeed, enforcement must be swift, decisive, and unyielding.
Why This Matters
At its core, this issue is about fairness. Small businesses, like the café entrepreneur’s travel tech startup, deserve a fair shot at visibility. Consumers deserve a marketplace where their choices aren’t manipulated by a dominant player’s self-interest. And the digital ecosystem deserves to be a space where innovation can thrive.
The DMA and similar legislation has the potential to level the playing field by removing Google’s unfair advantages. By doing so, it could create an environment where businesses succeed based on merit, not on their ability to compete against a system stacked against them.
A Call to Action
This is a pivotal moment for regulators, policymakers, and consumers alike. The groundwork has been laid with investigations, legislation, and judicial proceedings, but enforcement is the ultimate test. Google’s refusal to comply voluntarily has made it clear that regulators must take firm action to ensure compliance.
It’s time to hold Google accountable, enforce regulations rigorously, and create a digital ecosystem that values fairness, opportunity, and diversity.
The café entrepreneur isn’t asking for special treatment—just the chance to compete on a level playing field. Regulators have the tools they need to make this a reality. Now, they must act decisively to ensure that small businesses and consumers alike can thrive in a fair digital market.