Google Asks Approval for Fitbit Purchase

Google Asks Approval for Fitbit Purchase
Fitbit

Google's acquisition of Fitbit, worth $2.1 billion, could get a green light in Europe next month after the European Commission set a provisional deadline to rule on the deal. The EC specified 20 July as the earliest it may issue a decision on the deal, after Google submitted it for approval.

Potential options open to the EC include clearing the deal unconditionally, setting some conditions or opening a full-blown investigation. In February, the European Data Protection Board raised concerns over a high level of risk to privacy and data protection from the deal. Google also faces scrutiny in its home market from the US Department of Justice.

Googled announced the move for Fitbit in November 2019, as part of a strategy to boost its position in the wearables sector and build on a $40 million acquisition of smartwatch technology from Fossil. If the Fitbit acquisition goes ahead, Google would gain access to the health data of around 28 million users. The company previously pledged to offer options to review and delete this information.