Google has completed its acquisition of the health and fitness app Fitbit. The finalization of this $2.1 billion takeover was made possible by the EU’s decision last year to approve the merger.
European Union officials investigated the proposed merger due to concerns about data privacy and antitrust issues. So google agreed to separate Fitbit from the rest of its businesses and give assurances that it allow Fitbit users to decline having their health information shared with the Google’s search engine and maps. So Google basically promises not to use GPS to track a Fitbit user’s location for the purpose of targeted ads.
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Google is, however, still being sued in the United States for antitrust violations. And American authorities are looking into antitrustissues involved with the Fitbit acquisition.
The Justice Department stated that its antitrust division’s investigation into the matter is still ongoing. It said that, “although the Division has not reached a final decision about whether to pursue an enforcement action, the Division continues to investigate whether Google’s acquisition of Fitbit may harm competition and consumers in the United State.”
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If you’ve got this on your wrist, you’re part of a community 28+ million strong. Tag us @fitbit so we can see and celebrate all your moves. pic.twitter.com/TmNOp6dBkz
— fitbit (@fitbit) January 14, 2021
Fitbit offers a free app which lets its users track basic stats. Then there are the Fitbit tracker or smartwatch which allow people to see how their activity, workouts, sleep, nutrition and stress all fit together.
The company also offers free workouts, nutrition programs, meditation tracks, sleep tools and more. People can use it to set their goals for losing weight and having a healthier lifestyle. It offers things like achievment badges and milestone celebrations. Fitbit can be synced with more than 3,000 other apps.
Fitbit says that its goal is to “empower and inspire you to live a healthier, more active life. We design products and experiences that fit seamlessly into your life so you can achieve your health and fitness goals, whatever they may be.”
Fitbit’s CEO James Park welcomed the news, and said the acquisition would let the company “innovate faster, provide more choices, and make even better products.”
“We will maintain strong data privacy and security protections, giving you control of your data and staying transparent about what we collect and why,” Park said.
