Alphabet’s Google is set to win EU antitrust approval for its $2.1 billion purchase of fitness tracker maker Fitbit, Reuters reports, citing “people familiar with the matter.”
The world’s most popular internet search engine on Tuesday offered fresh concessions to the European Commission in a bid to address concerns the deal could entrench Google’s power in online advertising and boost its trove of data.
Google said it had offered to restrict the use of Fitbit data for Google ads and would also tighten the monitoring of that process, confirming a Reuters report. The offer is based on a July proposal. Third parties will also continue to have access to Fitbit users’ data, with users’ consent.
The EU competition enforcer will now seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept Google’s concessions, demand more, or either clear or block the detail. Last month, it rejected Google’s pledge not to use the fitness tracker’s data for advertising purposes in a bid to address competition concerns, saying that it was insufficient.
MacDailyNews Take: What’s the term for someone who believe what Google promises? Oh, yeah: a gullible fool.
Regardless, neither Google nor Fitbit could compete with Apple on their own and, even if they join up, two wrongs won’t make a right.
Fitbit was doomed before Google swallowed them. It’s just extra-doomed now. — MacDailyNews, November 6, 2019
Apple Watch roadkill.
Fitbit could not compete with Apple Watch and Apple’s myriad Health projects then and they won’t be able to compete now.
Health information is very private data. Google does privacy very poorly and, now, by association, so does Fitbit. — MacDailyNews, November 1, 2019
Google only “offered” to submit to some concessions, not promised, and has certainly not been binded in law, so this is just double-talk. Corporations promise a lot and they want to be self-regulated but history has clearly demonstrated that many can’t control themselves, so promises must be backed by law and enforced to be meaningful.