BEUC European Consumer Organization Concerned about Deal Between Google and Fitbit

As you know, last fall, Google announced the purchase of smartwatch manufacturer Fitbit. In December, information appeared that the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) intend to investigate the deal, estimated at $ 2.1 billion.

As it turned out, US regulators are not the only ones worried about the takeover, as a result of which Google will gain access to even more personal data. BEUC, the European Consumer Organization, believes the deal can “change the rules of the game” in relation to health data, and therefore requires careful scrutiny by the European Union.

The source quotes the organization BEUC, speaking on behalf of consumer associations in European countries:

“In the past, we saw how strategic mergers in the digital markets led to unprecedented market power for several tech giants that have expanded this power in the ever-growing areas of consumer life, in particular due to the accumulation of gigantic amounts of data and analytic capabilities. If Google receives consumer data generated using Fitbit wearable devices, now including data related to COVID-19, it will be able to use this data for its own benefit and undermine the ability of other companies to offer consumers new products. This can damage innovation and consumer choice in several markets, such as online advertising, search, healthcare and wearable devices. Therefore, the proposed merger may affect not only digital markets,

BEUC asks the European Commission to consider the impact of the deal on competition, given Google’s unprecedented influence in several digital markets.