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

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

#31

Post by moi2388 »

gorbypark wrote: post #8
Rinzler89 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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!

No this happens a lot. The only reason is tax benefits. They do need an office with alike 10 employees and a flower in it though (to ensure there are actually people there lol), but that’s about it.

So they either stay in NL, or do some sandwich with London or Dublin. It helps that the main Dutch party VVD is completely corrupt and only in there to enrich themselves.

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

#32

Post by varispeed »

com wrote: post #28
belorn wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the keypoints of the DMA, this change should require that: Booking.com can not prevent hotels from providing booking through other sites. booking.com can not prevent hotels from advertising special deals without giving booking.com a cut. booking.com must give hotels tools to independent verify advertisements that hotels are paying for. Booking.com must give hotels access to booking data in real time, and must pr…

This all sounds very good for open markets and capitalism. As a consumer I should benefit, and well-run hotels too, I suppose, if I were ever to stay in one.

These regulations should have been done decades ago. Now these lead to corporations growing abnormally big with immense power to corrupt policymakers and help them create regulatory capture.

It's great that EU sees some sense and does not give in to the temptation of easy money from big corporations.

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

#33

Post by sberder »

moi2388 wrote: post #31
gorbypark wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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!

No this happens a lot. The only reason is tax benefits. They do need an office with alike 10 employees and a flower in it though (to ensure there are actually people there lol), but that’s about it. So they either stay in NL, or do some sandwich with London or Dublin. It helps that the main Dutch party VVD is completely corrupt and only in there to enrich themselves.

In this case, booking.com was indeed a company founded in the Netherlands.

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

#34

Post by t0bia_s »

snowpid wrote: post #12
overstay8930 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, Europe would never regulate their own companies this much. BMW gets away with violating privacy laws regularly, and something tells me Spotify will never be asked to stop being so hostile to consumers.

could you tell us more about BMW? Spotify is not a monopoly. this website from Deezer helps you to go to deezer by copying all music. https://www.deezer.com/explore/de/features/transfer-playlist...

Deezer does not have native linux support.

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

#35

Post by carlosjobim »

yvely wrote: post #10
personomas wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

There is nothing predatory that I know of booking.com's practices. I know that hackers have a categorical hostility towards any large company (but not towards large governments or large banks of course), but could you explain what Booking.com does wrong?

Are they supposed to provide a central search engine with availability and reviews and a large customer base for free to any hotel owner? And when any guest makes a booking, the hotel owner sends them a message "Hey, cancel your reservation on booking and book with me instead and I'll give you a little discount." I guess hackers think that is marvellous, but how is that fair to booking? It is the hotels that ask to be on booking, they are free to do without and many do with great success.

Awaiting the responses saying "The government should provide an online booking platform and ban all others".

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

#36

Post by personomas »

deeth_starr_v wrote: post #22
jeltz wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what are the concrete problems with the DMA? I do not know it well enough but as a EU citizen and small business owner I am generally very happy with other EU regulations.

I’m not sure you’ll get a good answer. They’ve been on HN for 9 years and have -3 karma lol

Just because my opinions aren't popular, doesn't mean I'm not capable of giving good answers. Or you're the bandwagon guy who just likes who's most popular then??

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

#37

Post by personomas »

rightbyte wrote: post #24
personomas wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the Regulation (in this case) is the predatory practice, which is destroying companies. There's a reason the EU doesn't have many successful companies. DMA is the problem, it's not "that hotels are allowed to provide cheaper prices themselves". DMA does not regulate (or provide) that "hotels are allowed to provide cheaper prices themselves" because hotels were always allowed to do this. Even I admit that DMA has…

> This is destroying business. Middle men like Hotels.com etc are destroying business by adding a hidden extra booking fee from the consumers.

No DMA will and does destroy business.

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

#38

Post by carlosjobim »

belorn wrote: post #25
jeltz wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what are the concrete problems with the DMA? I do not know it well enough but as a EU citizen and small business owner I am generally very happy with other EU regulations.

From the keypoints of the DMA, this change should require that: Booking.com can not prevent hotels from providing booking through other sites. booking.com can not prevent hotels from advertising special deals without giving booking.com a cut. booking.com must give hotels tools to independent verify advertisements that hotels are paying for. Booking.com must give hotels access to booking data in real time, and must pr…

Number 1: Booking.com has never prevented hotels from providing booking through other sites.

Number 2: Booking.com has always demanded that any room sold by them cannot be cheaper anywhere else. Every third party seller demands this. Hint: You don't have to sell all of your rooms through booking.

This rule could destroy booking.com depending on how it is enforced, since hotels could then just use them as a free advertising platform.

Number 3: Seems fair.

Number 4: They've always done this.

Number 5: They don't own any hotels AFAIK

Number 6: What do they mean?

All in all, it seems the regulators do not understand at all what they are regulating. After decades of online reservations being the norm, hotels should only blame themselves if they've become dependent on third parties such as booking.

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

#39

Post by personomas »

sofixa wrote: post #27
personomas wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the Regulation (in this case) is the predatory practice, which is destroying companies. There's a reason the EU doesn't have many successful companies. DMA is the problem, it's not "that hotels are allowed to provide cheaper prices themselves". DMA does not regulate (or provide) that "hotels are allowed to provide cheaper prices themselves" because hotels were always allowed to do this. Even I admit that DMA has…

> There's a reason the EU doesn't have many successful companies I'm sorry, what? What could possibly make you think that?

[flagged]

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

#40

Post by personomas »

pjc50 wrote: post #16
personomas wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

You keep going on about "destruction" without even explaining what specifically is happening here that is so bad that booking.com will be unable to continue operating?

I'm talking about the fines and fines and fines that EU has been levying on business in general and the DMA is just another window into that. I'm not talking about just booking.com
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