EU Antitrust Regulators Extend Google-Fitbit Deal Investigation to December 23 - carterpaence

The European fair regulator has reportedly extended its investigating into Google's acquisition of Fitbit to December 23. In an official financial statement, the European Commission (EC) same that it was extending the deadline "united with the parties". According to the EU Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, the investigation "aims to ensure that control by Google over information collected through wear devices as a result of the dealings does not twine competition".

The EU last month launched a full-scale antimonopoly investigation into Google's $2.1 billion offer to acquire Fitbit shadowing the end of its preliminary limited review. While the European Community believes that a tie-up between the two entities could expand Google's 'data advantage', the US technical school giant has steadfastly denied such charges. In a financial statement released earlier in the twelvemonth, the company insisted that: "… the compounding of Google and Fitbit's hardware efforts will increase competition in the sector, benefiting consumers and devising the adjacent generation of devices better and more affordable".

Google, last November, official plans to acquire Fitbit after media reports suggested that such a deal was in the offing. Subsequent reports suggested that Facebook was too interested in the pot before backing out terminated pricing concerns. While the social networking giant was only prepared to pay around $1 billion, Google ended risen bagging the deal with its $2.1 billion offer.

The attainment, all the same, has attracted tending from antimonopoly regulators world-wide, many of whom have expressed concerns that Google might use private health data to boost its search algorithm or for targeted advertising. Google, however, has pledged non to use whatever of the data for targeted ads.