Google drops free product listings across Europe to meet the DMA

Free product listings and the “popular products” carousel have almost vanished from Google Search in the European Economic Area. Tracking firm Productrise measured a drop of 90 to 100 percent between 16 and 18 September 2026 in Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin said the removal follows from the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Comparison sites now fill the space Google Shopping held

The Shopping tab has also gone from the search bar, Ecommerce News Europe reported on 17 September. Searchers see lists of shops and price comparison services instead. On 18 September Google updated its developer page on regional differences. It now lists “aggregator units” and “supplier units” for products in the EEA. One gives room to comparison sites, the other to sellers directly. Paid Shopping ads still run, according to PPC Land.

Flights and hotels went first, on 8 September

This is the second large cut in a few weeks. Google stopped showing flight and hotel prices in EU results earlier this month. It has also set terms for rivals to license its EU search data. PPC Land reports a DMA compliance deadline of 21 September under case DMA.100193.

Shops lose an unpaid traffic source with no transition period

Free listings let online shops appear on Google without paying per click. They disappeared in about two days, with no warning to merchants. PPC Land sees three options for shops: buy Shopping ads, list through comparison services that take a cut, or accept less traffic. Productrise’s figures cover five countries so far. Data for the rest of the EEA has not been published.

Will the European Commission accept the new product units as DMA compliance by the 21 September deadline? Its answer decides whether this layout stays for European shoppers or changes again.

Beslist.nl is writing to the European Commission about the change

Update, 26 September. Dutch price comparison sites say the new layout hurts them as well as the shops. Beslist.nl told the trade title Twinkle it will send a letter to the European Commission next week. Its chief product officer Bram van Asseldonk said the DMA was meant to create a level playing field and that this is not it. Chief executive Dennis van Allemeersch said the change is worse for comparison sites, for shops and for shoppers, and that it resembles a chess game rather than an ending. Productrise puts the fall in product visibility in the Netherlands at 90 to 100 percent. Comparison sites also say they have lost control over which of their products Google shows and in what order, because placement now runs through a product feed rather than their own pages.