BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc-owned Google’s planned $2.1 billion buy of fitness trackers company Fitbit may harm consumers and hinder innovation, European consumer group BEUC said on Wednesday, calling it a game-changer deal in the health and digital markets.
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is pictured at the entrance to the Google offices in London, Britain January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Google announced the deal in November last year, a move which would allow it to take on Apple and Samsung in the crowded market for fitness trackers and smart watches. Huawei [HWT.UL] and Xiaomi also compete in the market.
Critics however said the deal would give the U.S. tech giant access to a trove of health data gathered from Fitbit’s fitness trackers and other devices used to monitor users’ daily steps, calories burned and distance travelled.
BEUC, which counts 45 national consumer organisations from 32 European countries as its members, said the Google bid marks yet another…
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