Customers lost money, Booking.com washed its hands. There is an investigation.

The European Commission has initiated a formal investigation into Booking.com for potentially violating digital services regulations by failing to adequately protect users from fraudulent offers and phishing scams. Concerns have been raised regarding the transparency of 'enhanced listings' and the platform's communication system, which may have been exploited for data theft and fraudulent payments. The investigation will assess whether Booking.com has effectively identified and mitigated risks associated with illegal content and whether it has implemented sufficient safeguards against misuse of user data. Additionally, the Commission will examine if users can clearly distinguish between advertisements and organic search results, as required by digital services legislation.