The European Commission opened formal proceedings on October 21 to examine whether Booking.com complied with risk-management and transparency duties under the Digital Services Act. The decision starts an investigation; it is not a finding that the company violated the law.

The review covers allegedly fraudulent or non-compliant accommodation listings, phishing schemes that may exploit reservation and guest information, and the handling of providers that pay for higher placement in search results. The Commission will assess whether those boosted listings were clearly recognizable as advertising.

According to the Commission, its preliminary work examined Booking.com risk-assessment reports from 2026 and the preceding three years, public transparency reports and responses to two formal information requests. Booking.com has been supervised as a very large online platform under the DSA since April 2023.

Opening proceedings allows the Commission to continue gathering evidence and, if warranted, consider interim measures, commitments or a non-compliance decision. The announcement provides no final judgment or timetable. The Commission says it is coordinating with the Dutch consumer and market authority, where the platform is established.