Expedia Under Investigation

Expedia and several large hotel chains are currently under investigation for allegations that they conspired to suppress competition in online travel bookings. The latest investigation has been brought on by Utah’s attorney general, according to Bloomberg.

The attorney general’s office is investigating a claim that Expedia conspired with Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Wyndham, Caesar’s, and Choice Hotels to manipulate search advertising results on Google, restrict competition, and minimize customer choice. The allegations were presented in a lawsuit filed back in December by the TravelPass Group, a Utah-based technology company that sells hotel rooms through Google search ads.

The lawsuit provides details about the changing landscape of the Google search process, identifying what previously took place when searches for hotels were performed compared to what search results look like today.

Under federal and state laws it is illegal to work in coordination to abuse or hurt the competition. If a violation of the law is confirmed, the Utah attorney general could go to court to stop what’s happening and pursue civil fines.

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