European Commission investigating Booking.com’s fraud, phishing prevention measures
The European Commission has launched an investigation into Booking.com to assess whether the originally Dutch company is doing enough to prevent fraud and phishing attempts on its site. According to the Commission, Booking.com may be violating the Digital Services Act (DSA).
“Europeans should be able to book their holidays without fear of being scammed. The Digital Services Act sets clear responsibilities on platforms to address these risks, and we must ensure that the leading booking platform in Europe takes those responsibilities seriously,” said responsible European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told the news wire ANP that 66 percent of all online accommodation bookings in Europe are made via Booking.com. “At the same time, Booking reports a 500-fold increase in fraudulent practices between 2022 and 2024,” the spokesperson said.
The investigation will focus on three points. First, the Commission will examine whether the holiday booking site has properly identified and assessed the risks of fake listings, impersonation fraud, and non-compliant accommodation offers and implemented effective measures to mitigate these risks.
The Commission will also investigate whether it has “diligently” assessed and addressed the risk of phishing scams to its users. In particular, investigators will look at how the site shares reservation and guest data and whether it has sufficient safeguards in place to prevent data from being misused.
Finally, the Commission also suspects that Booking.com does not comply with the DSA’s advertising transparency obligations. Accommodation providers can pay to make their listings more visible. The Commission will investigate whether Booking clearly marks these listings as the advertisements they are.
Booking.com told the news wire that it would cooperate fully in the investigation. “Safety, trust, and the protection of personal data are the highest priority at Booking.com.”