Booking.com has stated that it is involved constructively with the European Commission. The company has received news of an EU investigation concerning false listings and scams. The Commission has called Booking.com's approach to protecting customers from false listings and scams as 'substandard'.

An official from the Commission said that the company may have violated the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) with its 'substandard' approach to preventing scams and phishing scams, where criminals impersonate a third party to deceive people into handing over money. An official from the Commission said that 'we feel that what they have done is substandard', but even if the company takes measures, it can do much more and have stronger systems to prevent scams. The Commission has also inspected whether the company has violated the transparency rules for advertising announcements, potentially not clarifying which clients paid to make their own businesses visible on the Booking.com website.

The investigation is based on similar cases, with less prominent addresses, where users thought they had reserved a room, but later found that it was falsely listed on the Booking.com website. The Commission has also inspected a second type of scam, known as 'restaurant swaps', where criminals use hacker data to impersonate a hospital. The Commission has declared that opening the investigation does not preclude the conclusion of the case.

The company has stated that they are involved constructively with the Commission. 'Security, trust, and protection of personal information are priorities in Booking.com', said a spokesperson for the company. 'We will continue working with relevant governments, administrators, police forces, and independent partners to combat cybercrime and online fraud, and protect travelers and partners.'