Google’s $2.1 Billion Fitbit Deal to Face EU Antitrust Probe

Google’s $2.1 billion (roughly Rs. 15,724 crores) bid for health tracker maker Fitbit will face a full-scale EU antitrust investigation subsequent week, folks aware of the matter stated on Thursday.

Alphabet unit Google this month provided to not use Fitbit’s well being information to assist it goal adverts in an try to deal with EU antitrust issues. The opening of a full-scale investigation means that this isn’t enough.

The deal, introduced final November, would see Google compete with market chief Apple and Samsung within the fitness-tracking and smart-watch market, alongside others together with Huawei and Xiaomi.

The European Fee, which is able to launch the probe following the tip of its preliminary assessment on August four, is predicted to utilize the four-month lengthy investigation to discover in depth the usage of information in healthcare, one of many folks stated.

The Fee declined to remark. Google reiterated earlier feedback, saying the deal is about gadgets and never information.

“The wearables area is crowded, and we consider the mixture of Google and Fitbit’s hardware efforts will enhance competitors within the sector, benefiting shoppers and making the subsequent era of gadgets higher and extra inexpensive,” a spokeswoman stated.

Google’s information pledge has drawn criticism from healthcare suppliers, wearables rivals and privateness advocates for not addressing their issues that the deal would increase its dominance within the on-line search market and its trove of knowledge.

Information company MLex was the primary to report the approaching EU investigation.

© Thomson Reuters 2020