Report: EU to Investigate Google Acquisition of Fitbit
- Paul Thurrott
- Jul 30, 2020
-
9
In a major setback to Google and its desire to jumpstart its wearables business, the EU will reportedly investigate the Fitbit acquisition.
News of the investigation comes via Reuters, which cites multiple sources.
Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
According to the publication, the European Commission will announce next week that it is investigating Google’s planned $2.1 billion acquisition of wearable-maker Fitbit. Google announced the acquisition last November and said it would close the deal in 2020, pending regulatory approval. But the EU began asking Google’s rivals about the deal earlier this month. And so Google responded by declaring, again, that it would not use personal data from the devices for advertising.
That ploy has apparently not appeased EU regulators. Instead, it will launch a four-month probe into the deal following its initial review.
“The wearables space is crowded, and we believe the combination of Google and Fitbit’s hardware efforts will increase competition in the sector, benefiting consumers and making the next generation of devices better and more affordable,” a Google statement notes.