Our global operations are subject to complex and changing laws and regulations. Our business and financial performance could be adversely affected by changes in or interpretations of existing laws, rules and regulations or the promulgation of new laws, rules and regulations applicable to us and our businesses, including those relating to travel and alternative accommodation licensing and listing requirements, the provision of travel packages, the internet and online commerce, internet advertising and price display, consumer protection, licensing and regulations relating to the offer of travel insurance and related products, anti-corruption, anti-trust and competition (including our contractual provisions regarding pricing and travel suppliers), economic and trade sanctions, tax, banking, machine learning and AI, data security, the provision of payment services and privacy.
There are, and will likely continue to be, an increasing number of laws and regulations pertaining to the internet and online commerce that relate to website display and messaging, including prices, liability for information retrieved from or transmitted over the internet, online editorial and user-generated content, user privacy, behavioral targeting and online advertising, taxation, liability for third-party activities and the quality of products and services, and our contractual relationships with travel suppliers who list on our sites. Recent examples of new website display laws or regulations include, (i) in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission and the states of California and Minnesota introducing, and Congress and other states considering, laws or regulations that require us to include all fees in the prices displayed for accommodations on our websites, and (ii) in Europe, the EU Digital Services Act and Council Directive (known as DAC7) requires us to display a variety of supplier-related information, including local license numbers, tax identification numbers, business registration numbers, or statements regarding compliance with local laws. These and other new laws and regulations maybe costly and time consuming to implement, and significantly impact the profitability or competitiveness of our business.
Additionally, some jurisdictions have implemented or are considering implementing regulations that restrict or could restrict access to city centers and popular destinations as well as impact our ability to offer accommodations, such as by limiting the construction of new hotels or renting of alternative accommodations. Also, compliance with the European Economic Community (“EEC”) Council Directive on Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours is costly and complex and could adversely impact our ability to offer certain packages in the EEC.
Likewise, the SEC, Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Office of Foreign Assets Controls (“OFAC”), as well as foreign regulatory authorities, have continued to increase the enforcement of economic sanctions and trade regulations, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption laws, across industries. As regulations continue to evolve and regulatory oversight continues to increase, we cannot guarantee that our programs and policies will be deemed compliant by all applicable regulatory authorities. In the event our controls should fail or are found to be out of compliance for other reasons, we could be subject to monetary damages, civil and criminal money penalties, litigation and damage to our reputation and the value of our brands.
We also have been subject, and we will likely be subject in the future, to inquiries or legal proceedings from time to time from regulatory bodies concerning compliance with economic sanctions, consumer protection, competition, tax, payments and travel industry-specific laws and regulations, including but not limited to investigations and legal proceedings relating to the travel industry and, in particular, parity provisions in contracts between hotels and online travel companies, including Expedia
Group, and the presentation of information to consumers, as described in Part I. Item 3. Legal Proceedings — Competition and Consumer Matters. The failure of our businesses to comply with these laws and regulations could result in fines and/or proceedings against us by governmental agencies and/or consumers which, if material, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.