EU Questions Google Rivals About Fitbit Acquisition

The European Commission has sent out questionnaires asking Google’s rivals whether its proposed $21 billion acquisition of Fitbit would harm competition. But there is already strong industry opposition to the purchase: 20 consumer groups have separately petitioned regulators in the United States and EU to reject it for privacy reasons.

“Regulators must assume that Google will in practice utilize the entirety of Fitbit’s currently independent unique, highly sensitive data set in combination with its own, particularly as this could increase its profits, or they must impose strict and enforceable limitations on data use,” a joint statement by the group reads.

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Google rejects this claim.

“Throughout this process, we have been clear about our commitment not to use Fitbit health and wellness data for Google ads and our responsibility to provide people with choice and control with their data,” a Google statement retorts. “Similar to our other products, with wearables, we will be transparent about the data we collect and why. And we do not sell personal information to anyone.”

Regardless, the EC questionnaires suggest that regulators in Europe could block the acquisition and trigger a new antitrust investigation into Google’s business practices. Or it could ask for certain concessions as a condition for approval.

Australia’s competition authority is also investigating the purchase and says it will issue a decision in August.

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Conversation 11 comments

  • bbennett40

    02 July, 2020 - 3:31 pm

    <p>"What??? Oh..yeah..uh..I mean YES! Whatever you just said is impacting us greatly!! Go do something!!"</p>

  • txag

    02 July, 2020 - 3:37 pm

    <p>What is a Google promise worth?</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      02 July, 2020 - 4:27 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#551709">In reply to txag:</a></em></blockquote><p>I’d say the paper it’s written on, but they’re too Silicon Valley to use paper, so not even that.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      03 July, 2020 - 8:57 am

      That and $1 will get a cup of coffee at the local diner.

      • anoldamigauser

        Premium Member
        03 July, 2020 - 10:58 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#551859">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>For takeout</p>

  • shmuelie

    Premium Member
    02 July, 2020 - 4:03 pm

    <p class="ql-indent-1"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">we do not sell personal information to anyone.</span></p><p><br></p><p>True… Since they don't need to. They are the advertiser that wants your data.</p>

  • Daekar

    02 July, 2020 - 11:00 pm

    <p>I am getting tired of SV companies eating the world. </p>

  • jim_may

    03 July, 2020 - 12:09 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">”We do not sell personal information to anyone.” </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">LMAO!!!</span></p>

    • SvenJ

      03 July, 2020 - 1:31 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#551806"><em>In reply to Jim_MAY:</em></a><em> </em>As was noted on the premium side, they don't. They use the data themselves. They have no reason to sell advertising data to other advertisers. They sell the fact they have it to those wanting to advertise.</blockquote><p><br></p>

  • dcdevito

    03 July, 2020 - 7:06 am

    <p>They will have to prove health data they would collect in this case would have an entirely different business model than anything else, I know insure as heck wouldn’t my health data (even anonymized in large collections) sold to anyone in any fashion, period. I also question Google’s motive here: is it just to play catch up with Apple and Samsung? Or something else</p>

  • SvenJ

    03 July, 2020 - 1:29 pm

    <p>Just let it go. In a year they'll sell it to Lenovo.</p>

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