Fitbit deal postponed until the end of the year

23.09.2020, 6:22 p.m.

There is apparently still a need for discussion in the antitrust proceedings for the takeover of Fitbit by Google. The EU Commission has extended the deadline.

Could Google use Fitbit user data for personalized advertising? This is what the EU Commission’s current review procedure for the takeover of Fitbit by Google is about. She opened the proceedings in August, and now the deadline has been postponed . In the end, conditions or a ban could be decided.

Postponement decided together

Actually, the decision should have been made by December 9th, the new date is December 23rd. A spokeswoman for the commission told Techcrunch that the postponement had been decided in accordance with all contracting parties.

While Google asserts that it will be primarily interested in the hardware but not in the health data when taking over, this promise is not enough for the commission. She fears that Google will use the data to personalize advertisements and thus further expand its position in this market.

In the investigation, the Commission wants to clarify to what extent Google’s market position, which has been strengthened by the takeover, could restrict other competitors in the area of online advertising. She also examines the impact on digital health services and wearable device interoperability.