eDreams ODIGEO has expressed its strong opposition to the solution proposed and gradually deployed by Google in response Digital Markets Act (DMA) The European Union. The company believes so The solution proposed by Google does not meet the objectives.
The regulations that comes into force on March 7, 2024The aim is to end persistent unfair practices in the digital ecosystem and address the role of digital gatekeepers in the online market.
One of the most important expected effects is this Google no longer favors its own services in its search engineThis will eliminate the disadvantages imposed on competitors over the years and enable fairer competition and more equitable consumer access to a variety of products.
As eDreams points out, the proposal continues to raise significant concerns about competition in the travel distribution sector. Specifically, they claim perpetuates deep-rooted practices of self-interest actively encouraging consumers to stay in the Google ecosystem.
While acknowledging the proactive measures taken by the European Commission to defend a fair digital ecosystem in Europe, as provided for in the law, the company emphasizes this designated gatekeepers must strictly adhere to the applicable regulations.
Measures to comply with the WFD
In addition, he expresses his disappointment that, according to the information available today, a major player like Google is far from reaching the level required to achieve the overall objectives set out in the DMA. eDreams ODIGEO expects action from the European Commission to ensure compliance with this law.
«The entry into force of the DMA means a great opportunity to address the ongoing imbalance which has existed in the European digital landscape for years and opens the door to a fairer and more equitable digital ecosystem. We recognize the efforts of the European Commission Promoting fairer competition in the European digital landscape. The importance of building a competitive and transparent market cannot be overemphasized as it directly impacts providing consumers with a wide range of options.“, Comments Dana Dunne, CEO of eDreams ODIGEO.
«Beyond the immediate benefits for consumers, a fairer digital environment will strengthen Europe’s thriving and innovative technology ecosystem and pave the way for European tech powers continue to innovate and compete on a level playing field, overcoming long-standing barriers in a potentially fairer market compared to the current one. We continue to call for vigilance and decisive action to ensure a market that promotes healthy competition and drives innovation for the benefit of all«says the top leader of eDreams ODIGEO.
In addition, even before the law came into force, the European Commission recommended that gatekeepers work with third parties and end users to achieve this Make sure your proposed solutions are effective and promote desired competitive outcomes. However, eDreams ODIGEO regrets that these consultations have not yet resulted in a satisfactory solution according to DMA.
Google’s plan to comply with the law
Recently, Google has published a support document explaining the changes it is making to some of its services to comply with DMA rules. This includes more choice screens and a notification to confirm that the company’s services can continue to share user data with each other. These changes will come into effect on March 6thDay it will be mandatory.
According to the company, they will be rolling out one in the coming weeks new notification that European users will see where they are will ask whether some business services can continue to share data with each other. However, Google reminds that users can change their choices at any time in their Google Account settings.
Finally, the company also commented I don’t entirely agree with the DMAin view of this “The new rules involve difficult trade-offs and we fear that some of these rules will limit options for people and businesses in Europe«.