The European Commission decided on Tuesday to launch an in depth-investigation into the planned acquisition of technology firm Fitbit by Google.
EU INSTITUTION IS SUPPOSED TO DELIVER DECISION IN EARLY DECEMBER
The institution will probe if the merge between the tech giant and Fitbit, a producer of smart watches and fitness trackers, may lead into an unfair advantage in the online advertising markets.
“Our investigation aims to ensure that control by Google over data collected through wearable devices as a result of the transaction does not distort competition,” Margrethe Vestager, the EU commissioner responsible for competition, explained.
According to the concerns of the EU body, Fitbit’s wearable devices generate a huge amount of data on the life and health situation of users that Google might use for personalizing the advertisements it shows for people on its search engine and other internet pages.
This data advantage may strengthen Google’s already dominant position in the advertising market in EU countries, and also affect the digital healthcare sector.
The EU institution is supposed to deliver its decision on the proposed transaction in early December.