This world-famous app was just fined almost half a billion dollars over “abuse” allegations

There’s an app we use every so often that can bring us literally once in a lifetime memories – or it could bring along major disappointment. This app, of course, is Booking – the widely-used platform to reserve a fancy holiday, or a romantic weekend getaway, or a wild Asian adventure on the other side of the globe.The app itself, in my humble opinion, is nothing to write home about (which is a testament to the fact that it does the job). It’s got a nice interface, multiple filters and options… although some things could get enhanced or polished.

However, this is not the place and time to talk about the ways to perfect Booking – the same beloved app was fined by the sunny country of Spain by almost $500 million!

See, Spain’s antitrust watchdog has fined Booking.com 413.2 million euros ($448 million) for allegedly abusing its “dominant market position” in the country since 2019.

The regulator announced on Tuesday that it imposed two fines totaling 206.6 million euros on Booking.com, a subsidiary of the New York-listed Booking Holdings. The company, which holds a market share of 70% to 90%, has been accused of imposing unfair conditions on hotels and stifling competition from other online reservation services.

The almost $500 million fine follow complaints filed in 2021 by the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers (AEDH) and the Madrid Hotel Business Association. According to the Spanish regulator, Booking prohibits hotels from offering lower prices on their own websites than on its platform and unilaterally imposes discounts on hotel rooms without hotel approval. Additionally, the watchdog noted that Booking requires Spanish hotels to litigate disputes in the Netherlands.

To maintain its dominant market share, Booking provides benefits to hotels that generate more fees for the platform, thereby limiting the opportunities for alternative service providers to attract these hotels.

Booking can appeal the fines in the Spanish high court, and I’m sure it’ll do so accordingly.