European Commission to examine Booking.com over fake listings and user protection
The European Commission is to examine whether Booking.com does enough to protect customers from fake accommodation listings. The check will be carried out under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).
Author: Editorial teamPublished: 2 min read
Contents
The accommodation booking platform Booking.com has come under scrutiny from the European Commission. According to the Polish tech site Antyweb (22 October 2026), officials are to check whether the service properly protects users from dishonest offers.
Legal basis
Booking.com is to be reviewed under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). According to Antyweb, the proceedings will be conducted in several stages, as there are at least several possible allegations. That does not mean that any of them will be confirmed.
What will be examined
The first strand is the verification of listings published on the platform. It concerns adverts for non-existent properties, impersonation of property owners and misleading claims about the real standard of accommodation.
Officials will also look at how the service oversees communication between guests and property owners. They are to assess whether abuse occurs there and whether customers' personal data is adequately protected.
The second strand concerns the promotion of listings. The Commission wants to establish whether Booking.com favours certain listings and, if so, how. It will also check whether promoted listings are clearly labelled, so that users know whether they are looking at an advert.
The company's position
In a statement given to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Booking.com says that safety, trust and protection of personal data are its priorities. The company says it continues to work with governments, regulators, law enforcement and industry partners to fight cybercrime and online fraud.
What this means for you
There is currently no information about any changes to how the service works or about any decisions against the company. The case concerns EU rules, and the source does not say whether it will also cover users in the UK. People booking accommodation, including on trips to Poland or other EU countries, should still take the usual precautions. It is worth checking reviews of a property and being wary of offers that look too good to be true.
Sources
This article was prepared automatically by AI from the listed sources and published without prior editorial review. Spotted a mistake? Use the “Report an error in this article” button.
Photos
- Cover: „apartment, hotel, luxury, view, sea”, author: AS_Photography, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
- Photo 1: „hotel, bed, holiday, room, double”, author: ivabalk, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
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