Google has completed its acquisition of Fitbit, surmounting various regulatory. The USD 2.1 billion takeover was announced in November 2019, attracting regulatory scrutiny from regulators in the EU, US and Australia. Google secured clearance in mid-December from the European Commission, after agreeing to limits on how it can use data collected over Fitbit wearables, among other conditions. These commitments will be implemented globally, with the company saying it will continue to work with regulators to show it was living up to its commitments.
With the completion, Google said it will work to create new devices and services respectful of its users privacy and security. “We are committed to protecting your health information and putting you in control of your data,” Google said, adding that the deal has “always been about devices, not data, and we’ve been clear since the beginning that we will protect Fitbit users’ privacy.”
The company said it has worked with global regulators on ways to safeguard user privacy expectations, including a series of binding commitments that confirm Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won't be used for Google ads and that the data will be separated from other Google ads data. The company noted also that it will maintain access to Android APIs so that devices like fitness trackers and smart watches can interoperate with Android smartphones. It will iln addition continue to allow Fitbit users to connect to third-party services if they want to, so that they can sync their chosen health and fitness apps to their Fitbit account.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in late December that it was not accepting concessions in return for its green light, and that it would continue its investigation into the matter, and issue a decision in 25 March.
Fitbit has about 29 million users worldwide, Google said.
