Google will face a full-scale EU antitrust investigation into its planned US$2.1 billion bid for fitness tracker maker Fitbit unless it offers concessions to address competition concerns, people familiar with the matter said.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Google is seen in Davos, Switzerland Januar 20, 2020. Picture taken January 20, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannShare this contentBRUSSELS: Google will face a full-scale EU antitrust investigation into its planned US$2.1 billion bid for fitness tracker maker Fitbit unless it offers concessions to address competition concerns, people familiar with the matter said.
The deal allows Google, a unit of Alphabet , to take on Apple and Samsung in the fitness trackers and smart watches market, where other players include Huawei and Xiaomi .Google could allay competition worries by offering a binding pledge to EU competition enforcers along the lines of its promise last year not to use Fitbit's health and wellness data for Google ads, the people said.The deadline for Google to offer concessions is July 13.
Google said the deal, which has drawn heavy criticism from privacy advocates and consumer groups, is about devices and not data."The wearables space is highly crowded, and we believe the combination of Google's 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 spokeswoman said.
"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," she said.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »