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Booking.com faces European Commission probe over fake hotel listings, online scams

The Commission's first formal Digital Services Act case against the travel site follows a review of its risk assessments; fines could reach six percent of global turnover.

On air: Kenji Moonfield, Gloria Vance and Vera Bullock on BBN After Hours
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Photo: Wakuwaku99 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
▶ As it aired · World

Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield, Gloria Vance and Vera Bullock on this story, from BBN After Hours at 4:38 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Hindustan Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Booking.com
Photo: Wakuwaku99 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

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What BBN said about it

  1. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe European Commission opened formal proceedings against Booking. com on Wednesday under the Digital Services Act, looking at fake listings, phishing scams, and whether paid search rankings are clearly labelled as ads.

  2. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA Commission spokesperson says scams reported on the platform rose by five hundred percent between twenty twenty-two and twenty twenty-four, with fraud totalling four point two billion euros in twenty twenty-four.

  3. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorOne Commission official called the company's efforts, quote, absolutely substandard.

  4. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorFines of up to six percent of global turnover could follow, and Booking. com says it is cooperating constructively.

  5. Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHenna Virkkunen says Europeans should be able to book a holiday without fear of being defrauded, and I love that for the beach people.

  6. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTwenty-eight million listings. Somewhere in there is a villa that is just a photo of a villa.

  7. Gloria Vance · World News AnchorI have stayed in that villa. The photo had a better view.

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The story so far

  1. European Union: The EU banned bananas that are too bendy. · Wikipedia
  2. European Union: The EU tried to ban mushy peas · Wikipedia
  3. European Parliament votes 381-167 against Islamist entryism · Fox News
  4. Rare European beetle harbors hidden island of unknown fungi · Bioengineer.org
  5. European carriers plan a Starlink rival with no satellites yet · The Verge
  6. Two European women held in Niger freed in Libya · BBC
  7. Booking.com faces European Commission probe over fake hotel… (this story)

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Photo: Boris Dzhingarov · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
WORLD NEWS

Severe flooding in eastern Spain as UK gets first named storm

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Via The Guardian

Photo: ajay_suresh · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
ASK BBN

Monet's 'Iris' sells for record 50 million euros in Paris

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Via Reuters