We begin this week's Update with the promised overview of the DOJ's recent guidance on the ADA and website accessibility. Enjoy.
Expedia Group's Trivago Fined for
Misleading Room Rates
("Trivago fined for misleading consumers on hotel room
rates," April 22, 2022 via Hotel Management Network - Top
Stories)
Last week, the Australian Federal Court fined metasearch platform,
Trivago, $44.7 million for its misleading claims about rates on its
website and in television advertising. The decision culminates an
extensive investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) that began 2018. At issue was Trivago's use
of an internal algorithm that produced search results based on the
cost-per-click (CPC) fees paid Trivago by booking sites (the higher
the fees paid, the better search placement) and not, contrary to
advertising by Trivago, on the lowest available rates. As part of
the investigation, Trivago admitted that use of the algorithm
caused consumers to overpay approximately $38 million to booking
sites.
Influencers Under a Legal
Microscope
("Consumer watchdog 'takes stand' against
dishonest travel influencers," April 19, 2022 via Travel
Weekly)
Last week, the consumer-advocacy group, Travelers
United, filed suit against social media influencer, Cassandra De Pecol and her company,
Expedition 196. In its lawsuit, Travelers United takes aim at De
Pecol's claim that she is the first woman to travel to all the
countries in the world (despite evidence that several women
accomplished the goal before De Pecol), De Pecol's alleged
failure to disclose that she's paid by many of the brands she
features in her social media posts and De Pecol's allegedly
misleading reviews (actually, her own reviews) of her recent book.
The suit suggests that Travelers United may be making an example
out of De Pecol whose alleged practices are reflective of the many
perceived ills of social media generally.
The U.K. Announces New Rules on Fake
Reviews
("New rules to protect consumers' hard-earned
cash," April 19, 2022 via UK Government - News and
Communications)
It wasn't that long ago that the UK's Competition and
Markets Authority (CMA) and its predecessor made news in the online
travel industry with its creation of the now infamous "closed
users groups." Now, the U.K. government is granting new
enforcement powers to the CMA to better equip the CMA as it
prepares to enforce several newly announced consumer laws. Fake
reviews are among the many practices targeted by the new laws,
including those that pay others to write a review, host reviews
without taking reasonable measures to ensure they are genuine and
offer to submit or facilitate fake reviews. With its new
enforcement powers, the CMA will be able to award compensation
directly to consumers harmed by these practices and to impose
financial penalties without court proceedings.
Other news:
Expedia Joins Travalyst to Support Sustainability
Mission
April 20, 2022 via Travel Weekly (UK)
Expedia Group is the latest company to join Travalyst, the
sustainable travel organization founded by Prince Harry. The online
travel company said its partnership with Travalyst will support the
organization's goal of moving towards an industry-wide
alignment for the decarbonization of aviation.
Omri Morgenshtern Now Helms
Agoda
April 20, 2022 via TTG Asia
Booking Holdings has promoted Omri Morgenshtern to the role of
Agoda's Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2022. He
will take the reins from John Brown, who will assume the role of
Chairperson. Morgenshtern is currently Agoda's Chief Operating
Officer, a role he has held since July 2018.
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