EU antitrust regulators on Thursday approved with conditions Alphabet unit Google’s $2.1 billion bid for Fitbit after the company pledged not to hinder rivals and also not to use Fitbit’s health data for its advertising.
The European Commission said the concessions, valid for ten years, addressed competition concerns. The deal has triggered criticism from privacy advocates on both sides of the Atlantic, consumer organisations and Google rivals about the company’s clout following the takeover.
Google made the commitments, which last for at least 10 years, to get approval from the EU after the bloc’s competition watchdog launched an-depth investigation of the $2.1 billion deal this year.
The EU’s competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, said she approved the deal because Google’s commitments “will ensure that the market for wearables and the nascent digital health space will remain open and competitive.”
MacDailyNews Take: What’s the term for someone who believe promises from Google? 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
I think the only use Google would have with FitBit clients is their data. Not being able to use their health data for advertising may make Google less interested in buying Fitbit?
This is a loss making enterprise for Google, the winners are the Fitbit skinny cats who will pocket a fat pay check from this buyout.
On a separate note, what are MS current losses from the Surface Pro’s, any one know?
The EU is just setting Google up for a future lawsuit.