According to a new report from The New York Post Google may be headed for an investigation from the DOJ over its acquisition of Fitbit.
The concern is that if Google owns Fitbit that it will have a worrying amount of private data about its users. Google already gathers plenty of data through its other services like Search, Gmail, Maps, and Android which is the largest smartphone platform globally.
With Fitbit under its umbrella it would have access to the personal fitness data of the Fitbit platform’s 28 million active users. Which is a staggering amount. Though it’s also worth noting that Google may already have some of that information if any of those users are linking the Fitbit app with Google’s own Google Fit platform.
The DOJ wants an „early read” on the Google investigation
The DOJ says that it would be able to get an early read on the Google investigation if it were able to handle probe into Google’s Fitbit acquisition.
The Post’s report notes that both the DOJ and the FTC were presented with the merger proposal. As it’s required by law when it comes to a merger of this particular size. Only one agency has to review the merger though.
Both agencies seem to have had a big interest in reviewing the merger and handling the investigation. And both agencies seem like they feel they might be the best for the task. It appears though that the DOJ may end up being the reviewer.
Other investigations are underway
The potential DOJ investigation over Google’s Fitbit acquisition is just the most recent investigation to come up. Back in September of 2019 it was reported that Google would be under investigation from 50 different US states and territories.
The probe was being spearheaded by Texas, and is said to be over the concern of Google’s potential monopolistic practices. Earlier this week, Google was set to be under investigation over its labor practices because of the firing of four employees.
There’s no mention of how long the investigation will take or when it will actually begin. However with the investigation on the table it’s sure to push back any finalization of the merger between Google and Fitbit.
Google announced that it would be acquiring Fitbit for $2.1 Billion back on November 1, though it’s unclear as to what Google’s plans are for the company or its fitness platform and devices. The deal is still fresh and will likely take some time, even if the investigation weren’t being brought up.
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Source: ndroidheadlines.com