Google says the deal is about ‘devices, not data’ – and that’s what we need

Google has promised not to harvest and use Fitbit data for its advertising business, as it goes on a charm offensive to get its acquisition over the line.

The company announced back in November 2019 it was to buy Fitbit in a $2.1bn deal, but the acquisition has since been in limbo with increasingly close government scrutiny.

Firstly, US regulators turned the case over to the Justice Department, and the EU have also taken a close interest.

The issue is that critics are concerned about Google’s use of personal medical data. While most think of its search business, advertising powers Google’s huge revenues, and the prospect of it using the personal health data of millions of users has led for calls for the deal to be vanquished.
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https://www.wareable.com/fitbit/why-wearables-need-fitbit-google-to-happen-8032