European Commission Opens Digital Services Act Probe Into Booking.com's Handling of Scams and Fraud

Properties listed on Booking.com should take note: the European Commission has opened formal proceedings that could lead to new obligations on how the platform screens listings and protects guests from fraud.

The Commission announced on 21 October 2026 (reference IP/26/2223) that it is investigating whether Booking.com may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation focuses on whether the company has diligently assessed, and effectively mitigated, the risks linked to fraudulent listings and phishing scams on its platform.

What the Commission is examining

• Whether Booking.com properly assessed systemic risks from fraudulent accommodation listings.
• Whether its measures to mitigate phishing and scam activity targeting guests are effective.

Opening formal proceedings does not prejudge the outcome. It allows the Commission to gather further evidence and, if it concludes the platform failed its obligations, to move toward preliminary findings.

Why it matters for operators

Scam listings and phishing messages that impersonate hotels and hosts affect legitimate properties as well as guests, through chargebacks, reputational damage and lost direct trust. Any resulting changes to listing verification or messaging safeguards on Booking.com would land on the partner side too, so operators should watch for related extranet updates.

This article is based on the European Commission's press release; the full text of the release was not available at publication time, so details beyond the summary above are not included.