EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

personomas wrote: post #3

gorbypark wrote: post #2

Is this Europe's first home grown digital gatekeeper?

I think so. They don't just destroy foreign companies, sometimes they destroy their own.

Looking into it further, it seems booking.com is only "sort of European". Booking.com (headquartered in Amsterdam) is actually owned by Booking Holdings (an American company), which seems to have originated as Priceline, which then bought booking.com and renamed/restructured itself into Booking Holdings and owns Priceline, kayak, booking.com, Agoda and a bunch of other airline/hotel aggregators.

Re: EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

#5

Post by grey_earthling » Tue, May 14, 2024, 8:27 AM UTC

The same announcement from their own website: https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission/112434381586...

Re: EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

#6

Post by Rinzler89 » Tue, May 14, 2024, 8:37 AM UTC

gorbypark wrote: post #4

personomas wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think so. They don't just destroy foreign companies, sometimes they destroy their own.

Looking into it further, it seems booking.com is only "sort of European". Booking.com (headquartered in Amsterdam) is actually owned by Booking Holdings (an American company), which seems to have originated as Priceline, which then bought booking.com and renamed/restructured itself into Booking Holdings and owns Priceline, kayak, booking.com, Agoda and a bunch of other airline/hotel aggregators.

That goes for a lot of companies operating out of NL though.

They're there mostly for tax and stock issuing reason, but tend to be majority owned and managed by some US VC/PE/investment group or other kinds of foreign entities who need a EU HQ.

It's what makes the NL jobs (and housing) market so hot.

Re: EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

#7

Post by Rinzler89 » Tue, May 14, 2024, 8:45 AM UTC

personomas wrote: post #3

gorbypark wrote: post #2

Is this Europe's first home grown digital gatekeeper?

I think so. They don't just destroy foreign companies, sometimes they destroy their own.

Which foreign companies have they destroyed?

Re: EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

#8

Post by gorbypark » Tue, May 14, 2024, 8:51 AM UTC

Rinzler89 wrote: post #6

gorbypark wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking into it further, it seems booking.com is only "sort of European". Booking.com (headquartered in Amsterdam) is actually owned by Booking Holdings (an American company), which seems to have originated as Priceline, which then bought booking.com and renamed/restructured itself into Booking Holdings and owns Priceline, kayak, booking.com, Agoda and a bunch of other airline/hotel aggregators.

That goes for a lot of companies operating out of NL though. They're there mostly for tax and stock issuing reason, but tend to be majority owned and managed by some US VC/PE/investment group or other kinds of foreign entities who need a EU HQ. It's what makes the NL jobs (and housing) market so hot.

I think in this case booking.com was founded in Amsterdam and were purchased by an American company at some point and they aren't there just for tax reasons. I guess it is possible it is the reason they stay there, though!

Re: EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

#9

Post by pjc50 » Tue, May 14, 2024, 8:52 AM UTC

grey_earthling wrote: post #5

The same announcement from their own website: https://social.network.europa.eu/@EU_Commission/112434381586...

.. which ultimately links to https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_24_... , the real announcement. Also talks about Twitter ("X") and TikTok ads.

Perhaps this will do something about the deceptive practices of booking.com, such as fake urgency.

Re: EU commission designates Booking.com as a digital gatekeeper under DMA

#10

Post by yvely » Tue, May 14, 2024, 11:38 AM UTC

personomas wrote: post #3

gorbypark wrote: post #2

Is this Europe's first home grown digital gatekeeper?

I think so. They don't just destroy foreign companies, sometimes they destroy their own.

Regulating predatory practices is not the same as destroying a company. And if it happens to be the same, then that's probably a good thing. I have my problems with many things EU, but that hotels are allowed to provide cheaper prices themselves is just good for both the hotel and the guest.