Expedia’s Barry Diller threatened ‘revolt’ over ads on Google search

Pichai said Diller was unhappy about Google’s introduction of additional travel listings, which he called ‘one of the most popular experiences we’ve built’. — Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay

IAC Inc and Expedia Group Inc chair Barry Diller wrote to senior Google executives that he was “on the edge of revolt” over the search engine’s increased number of ads on its results page, pushing down the organic listings.

“I must say I’m on the edge of revolt now that Google’s actions are so punitive, not just for Expedia but also for IAC and all the players that depend upon something of a level playing field,” Diller wrote in a Dec 12, 2019 email to Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler. Later in the email, Diller said his companies spend “$6.5 billion dollars a year in media, the majority going to Google”.