Story perspectives

EU Opens Digital Services Act Probe Into Booking.com Fraud

By Drooid · Oct 21, 2026, 6:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The European Commission opened an investigation into Booking.com under the Digital Services Act on Oct 21 2026.
The probe will review Booking.com’s risk-assessment reports from the past four years.
Investigators will examine fake listings, impersonation fraud, non-compliant offers and phishing scams.
Dutch data showed a tenfold rise in fraud cases in 2026, with 1,072 reports and €82,000 losses.
The Digital Services Act allows fines up to 6 % of a platform’s global turnover.

History

Historical Context

The 2026 EU probe of Booking.com under the Digital Services Act follows a decade of aggressive platform enforcement, beginning with the €2.42 billion Google Shopping penalty in 2017 and the €4.34 billion Android fine in 2018. Subsequent large fines—€2.95 billion in 2025—show the bloc’s willingness to levy up to 6 % of a firm’s turnover for safety breaches.

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Story summary

The European Commission opened an investigation into Booking.com under the Digital Services Act on Oct 21 2026.
The probe will review Booking.com’s risk-assessment reports from the past four years.
Investigators will examine fake listings, impersonation fraud, non-compliant offers and phishing scams.
Dutch data showed a tenfold rise in fraud cases in 2026, with 1,072 reports and €82,000 losses.
The Digital Services Act allows fines up to 6 % of a platform’s global turnover.

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