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Trivago Files Antitrust Case Against Google in Germany Over Search Practices

By  |  May 7, 2026

Germany-based Trivago has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in a regional court in Hamburg, alleging that the technology company has engaged in anticompetitive conduct for more than a decade, according to a statement from the hotel and rental metasearch company.

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    The lawsuit targets Google, Google Ireland, and Google Germany GmbH, and centers on claims that Google has unfairly promoted its own hotel metasearch offering within general search results since 2014, per a statement. Trivago said the legal action seeks financial compensation and covers the period from January 2014 through December 2025.

    In addition to monetary damages, Trivago is asking the court to order the disclosure of traffic and revenue data that it says is controlled by Google and relevant to the case, according to a statement. The company is also seeking a declaratory judgment that would establish Google’s liability for potential damages beginning in January 2026 and continuing thereafter.

    Trivago said its claim is supported by an independent expert assessment as well as European and German competition law, per a statement.

    “For more than a decade, we have raised concerns about Google using its dominance in general search to systematically steer millions of travelers away from hotel metasearch platforms like trivago and toward its own competing service,” Chief Executive Johannes Thomas said.

    “We believe this has weakened our competitive position, limited our ability to grow, and ultimately harmed the travelers who rely on fair and open competition,” he added.

    Source: Market Watch