Google made search worse in Europe, and said so out loud

Google restructured European search results to meet a European Commission order, placing a specialised search engine first, then two additional listings, and a carousel of hotels, airlines and restaurants that no longer displays real-time prices. The change, described by a Google official as the biggest quality drop in the search engine’s 29-year history, favors price-comparison sites such as Expedia and Booking.com. The rollout satisfies a 60-day deadline following the Commission’s €460 million fine for self-preferencing under the Digital Markets Act.