Booking.com fined €15 million for abuse of power in Russia

Booking.com was fined the equivalent of 14.9 million euros by Russian competition regulator FAS for abusing its dominant position on the Russian market, NOS reports.

The Russian competition authority launched an investigation into Booking.com's activities last year after a major Russian employers' organization filed a complaint against the Dutch company. The regulator concluded that Booking.com imposed unacceptable contract conditions on hotels, inns and guest houses in the country, such as that they are not allowed to offer their accommodations for cheaper anywhere else.

The FAS ruled this an abuse of power and ordered Booking.com to remove these conditions from its contracts with Russian accommodations. The company did not do so, resulting in the 14.9 million euro fine to be paid to the Russian government.

Booking.com was not available to comment on the fine to NOS.